GRi BEF News-
Ghana 07-07-2000
IRS
on target in tax collection
Accra
(Greater Accra) 07 July 2000
The
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has collected over 600 billion cedis as at the
end of June, representing about half the projected target of 1.2 trillion cedis
for the 2000 fiscal year, Mr David Adom, Commissioner of IRS, said on Thursday.
"The
good beginning is an indication that we could exceed our target if we remain
committed," he said, at the fourth biennial congress of the Senior Staff
Association (SSA) of the Service in Accra.
Mr Adom
noted that the turbulence in the economy as a result of declining revenue from
the country's main exports in the face of rising oil prices demands that the
country looks inwards to generate more revenue internally to offset shortfalls
that will enable it to carry on with its development efforts.
Maximising
tax revenue, however, depends on the motivation of the staff of revenue
agencies and a good tax law that would make evasion difficult and ensure
voluntary compliance.
"There
is the need to generate capacity through a well motivated staff to ensure
diligence and dedication to improve revenue."
Mr Adom
said the current practice of "batching" the staff of revenue agencies
with civil servants was not helping the course of revenue mobilisation as staff
are not motivated enough to perform.
He
therefore called on the stakeholders to give the issue an urgent attention to
enable the staff of revenue agencies to improve on their performance.
The
commissioner said the management of the IRS has designed programmes to improve
on the quality of the staff through the expansion of the syllabus and linking
with GIMPA to equip the staff and make them better prepared to deal with the
challenges of the future.
He said 60
more staff would be employed to meet the manpower requirements of the Service
as part of efforts to enhance revenue collection.
Mr Adom
called on the staff to reciprocate the efforts of management by eschewing
negative tendencies such as unwise use of time that does not optimise
production and actions that tend to favour tax payers.
He called
on the staff to come out with laudable suggestions to help solve the numerous
problems facing the Service.
Mr Moses
Asaga, a Deputy Minister of Finance, noted that the advent of 'E Commerce'
calls for a
new approach to the challenges of tax collection, which can be achieved by
training the staff in the new areas.
He said
government policy was to change the tax base from income to property and
consumption tax, adding that, the government realising the important role
revenue agencies play in the economy, had willingly placed them above their
counterparts in the civil service.
Mr Asaga
said the agencies have also been placed on an expressed list that would enable
them to get the budgeted releases earlier than other agencies.
He appealed
to management to look seriously into the issue of tax returns and filing and
"do more to ensure that income earners comply".
GRi…/