The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the Tatale/Sanguli District of the Northern Region has intensified sensitization of the public to accept tax payment as a civic duty.

The exercise carried out by the District NCCE staff in collaboration with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) was aimed at increasing national revenue through tax collection as a civic duty to ensure development.

The campaign, which formed part of the second phase of the nationwide sensitization exercise, was dubbed “Our Taxes- Our Future” was intended to create public awareness on the responsiveness to honor tax payment.

The District NCCE staff visited 35 communities and engaged artisan groups, transport operators; Faith Based Organizations (FBO), farmers, market women and other identifiable economic entities.

The public were educated on the various types of taxes and the mode of payment to encourage public responsiveness to their tax compliance.
Mr Iddrisu A. Latif, Acting District Director of NCCE, said tax payment helped government to undertake projects as well as pay salaries of workers.

He said government depended on taxes to provide basic social amenities such as portable water, creating of jobs for the youth, construction and maintenance of roads, building of schools and hospitals.

Mr Mutaru Sayibu, Principal Field Officer of NCCE, touched on the legal mandate and structures of GRA, types of Taxes, Rights of the Taxpayer, Offences and penalties and the difference between assembly levies and income tax.

He urged the public to register their business with the Ghana Revenue Authority in order to protect their business under the internal revenue act, 2015 (Act 684).

Mr Sayibu indicated that refusal to pay taxes was against the laws of state and anyone who failed to pay taxes violated the laws and this attracted penalties such as fines or going to jail.