Ho, Aug. 7 GNA - Miss Sherry Adzimah, Volta Regional President of the Ghana Hairdressers and Beauticians Association (GHABA) has called on District Assemblies and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to widen their tax nets to drag in hairdressers and beauticians who operated from their homes.

She said the few of them, mainly members of GHABA, whose business centres were conspicuously located bore the chunk of the tax burden whereas those who operated in obscured locations and attracted more clients paid nothing to the State from their earnings. Miss Adzimah made the call at the first regional graduation ceremony of 165 apprentices, who completed two years' apprenticeship to qualify as hairdressers and beauticians.

She suggested to the Assemblies to collaborate with GHABA in selecting candidates for their Skills Training and Education Programmes (STEP) as that would make it easier for the Assemblies to keep track of beneficiaries for future payment of tax when they were established in business.

"We are well organised and, therefore, provide the appropriate platform for the successful implementation of the STEP Programme" she explained.

Miss Adzimah said the fact that the Volta Regional branch of GHABA had trained about 3,000 young women, who had set up successful businesses attested to the Association's ability to serve as a medium for tracking hairdressers and beauticians for tax purposes, if the Assemblies co-operated with the Association.

Mrs Joyce Appiah, National President of the Association, impressed on the graduating apprentices that "as an Association, we have been paying out taxes".

She reminded those who had defaulted in paying their taxes to do so.

Mrs Appiah reminded the graduates that they had only gone through the basic training to prepare them to cope with the challenging demands of the modern practices of cosmetology, which demanded constant education and professional upgrading.

"As a hairdresser it is important to develop a professional approach when dealing with clients. Your clients should feel confident that you have the knowledge and experience to take care of their hair and this will make them come back to you" she said.

Mr Ernest Yaw Otu-Addo, Volta Regional Officer of the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU), said GHABA constituted a shining example of ICU's achievements in its operations with the informal sector.

He observed that GHABA had been a source of employment creation for the youth many of whom would have resorted to anti-social activities for want of gainful employment. Mr Otu-Addo, therefore, appealed to the Government to assist the Association to have access to various funding schemes such as the Venture Capital Fund.

He also suggested that tax holidays be granted to the traditional and Rural Banks as incentive for them to extend soft credits to grow small businesses towards the achievement of the golden age of business. 7 Aug. 06