Mr Cephas Makafui Zokah, a Compliance Officer at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), has urged informal sector workers to pay the required taxes for the nation to improve its revenue generation.
He said the country could mobilize about GH¢800 million income tax annually if informal sector workers pay their taxes.
Mr Zokah gave the advice at a tax sensitization forum organised for some artisanal workers in Sunyani and attended by electricians, repairers, tailors, masons, dressmakers, plumbers and carpenters.
He explained that the GRA had intensified public sensitization for taxpayers to understand the need for them to pay their taxes and to contribute to progress and sustainable development.
Mr Zokah introduced and enlightened the participants on the Authority’s “Modified Taxation Scheme” (MTS), explaining that the scheme was a flexible and reliable online tax paying system and took them through self-registration.
He said with the system, they could easily pay their taxes, saying the new system was also aimed at tackling the loopholes in the tax collection system.
Mr Zokah said with the scheme workers in the informal sector could pay their taxes through their Mobile Money accounts, ATM cards or at their various banks urging those with smart phones to visit the nearest GRA offices for further assistance.
“The new taxation system is more transparent and flexible”, he stated and urged the artisanal workers to endeavour to pay their taxes for the nation to generate the revenue needed for development.
Mr Festus Onomah-Quansah, the Sunyani Area Director of the GRA, noted that about 70 percent of workers in the informal sector evaded tax, saying only 1.2 million Ghanaians pay their taxes.