THE Value Added Tax (VAT) Service will begin an exercise this month to register businesses that qualify to register but have not done so.

The aim is to provide a level playing field in the pricing of goods and services for all businesses in the country. In an interview in Accra on Monday, the Head of Public Relations of the Service, Mr Victor Obeng Ampah, said the attention of the service has been drawn to disparities in the pricing of goods and services among businesses operating in the same industry.

He explained that while there is a marginal increase in the prices of goods of registered companies owing to VAT, those who are not registered charge relatively low prices.

The situation, Mr Ampah said, has resulted in most registered companies refusing to charge and subsequently issue VAT invoices to customers.

He said the exercise, which will begin in Accra and carried out in all the regions of the country, is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Under the exercise, the various towns will be demarcated into business zones to make it easier for VAT field officers.

He appealed to the public to insist on VAT invoices anytime they transact business and called on businesses to endeavour to pay their returns promptly to ensure national development.

Mr Ampah said the service is currently holding a series of seminars and workshops for identifiable bodies, such as members of the judiciary, service providers, the media as well as the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) in all the regions.

He said the seminars had become very necessary to sensitise such organisations on how their activities impact on revenue collection in the country.

Mr Ampah said a number of strategies are being pursued by the service to raise its revenue collection base to meet the target set for the year