Wa, April 27, GNA - Mr Ambrose Dery, Upper West Regional Minister, on Wednesday reminded companies, organizations, business entities and individuals that it was an obligation to pay taxes.

"No country can derive maximum development by depending on foreign donors unless through internal revenue generation."

Mr Dery gave this reminder when he filed his income tax returns to the offices of Internal Revenue Service at Wa. The Regional Minister was accompanied by his deputy, Mr George Hikah Benson, and Mr David Yakubu, Regional Co-ordinating Director. Mr Dery appealed to all Ghanaians to be conscious of their tax obligations in order to help speed up the development of the entire country.

He urged the business community to eschew the age-old attitude of evading tax to enrich themselves, saying that would mean stealing and defrauding the national coffers.

Mr Dery warned business people to avoid condoning with revenue collectors to evade tax.

Mr Baba Bugri, Acting Regional Head of the Internal Revenue Service, said his organisation was undertaking a national campaign exercise to whip up the enthusiasm of the general public on payment of tax.

"A lot of people still think that it is a moral right to evade tax, but so we need to constantly remind them on the need to pay tax for the development of the country," he said.