The Obuasi Municipal Office of National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has organized a day's sensitization programme on tax payment for the business community and other identifiable bodies at Obuasi. The programme under the theme, "Ghana @ 50, Taxation and its Implication on the Socio-economic Development of the Country - Role of the Citizen", was to create a new tax payment spirit within the municipality. It was attended by a cross-section of people in business and other trading ventures including hoteliers, drinking bar operators, private school owners and petty traders. A.K. Yankson, Obuasi Municipal Manager of Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced that IRS had introduced customer care services into its activities to help create healthy and friendly relations between the taxpayer and the Service. He advised businessmen and women to ensure that they registered with the IRS. Mr Yankson said most people had evaded tax in the country and appealed to Ghanaians and foreign entrepreneurs to develop a sense of sincerity in their tax responsibilities as the country celebrated its 50 Years of Independence. He explained that there were penalties for those who failed to pay tax and urged those in business to endeavour to avoid being penalized by the law. Mr Yankson said there were benefits to be derived for paying tax and announced that marriage, disability, old age, child education and cost of training, were some of the tax reliefs that could be enjoyed by the taxpayer. Mohammed Isaka-Ibrahim, Revenue Superintendent of Obuasi Municipal Assembly reminded the people that the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies also had taxes that could be collected from the people to be used for development in their areas. He announced that payment of basic rates had not been abolished because it was a great source of revenue for the assemblies. Emmanuel Kofi Antwi, Obuasi Municipal Director of NCCE said though the country was developing, there were lot of attitudes that needed to be changed by the citizenry to facilitate positive growth and development. He said the dependence on foreign aids and grants alone should encourage Ghanaians to be committed to the payment of taxes. Source: GNA