Build capacity of staff, CEPS management told

Koforidua Nov. 6, GNA - Management of the Customs Excise and Preventive Services (CEPS), has been asked to build the capacity of its staff for the proper running of the Service.

Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, Eastern Regional Minister, who made the call, also urged CEPS, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Value Added Tax (VAT) Service, the three revenue agencies, to collaborate efforts to collect more revenue for development.

He was speaking at the opening of the ninth Biennial National Delegates Conference of the Junior Staff Association of CEPS on the Theme: Integrated Revenue Collectors - The Dawn of a New Era in Revenue Mobilization", at Koforidua.

Mr Richard Kumah Lanyon, Commissioner of CEPS, said the theme for the conference indicated that members of the association were aware of reforms being undertaken to integrate the three revenue agencies.

He said that the global economic crisis posed enormous challenges for revenue mobilization.

Mr Lanyon said that as at last month, CEPS had recorded 6.96 percent total growth in revenue.

He said management was intensifying operational reforms adding that "Our modernization efforts have centered on automation of our procedures in order to facilitate trade through improved electronic data interchange with our business partners"

Mr Lanyon charged personnel of CEPS to work assiduously to prevent smuggling and tax evasion to enable the Service to meet its revenue target.

Mr Silas Mensah, Executive Secretary of the Revenue Agencies Governing Board, commended members of the service for their dedication to duty, which had contributed to more than 50 percent of total tax collected.

He said despite the good performance "We still have to do a lot more to expand the tax net, seal leakages, provide good quality service for our customers and institute measures so as to increase compliance levels".

Mr Mensah said the reforms were geared towards broadening the tax base, increasing revenue and improving the quality of service to tax payers.

He observed that the current tax administration was bedeviled with many challenges and expressed the hope that an integrated revenue authority would provide a holistic approach to tax and customs administration, reduce administration and tax compliance cost.

Mr Mensah gave the assurance that staff of the revenue agencies would not be laid off adding that the reforms were aimed at integrating the current revenue agencies.

"This essentially means that staff of the three institutions will necessarily have to be re-trained and some possibly re-assigned but your jobs are however guaranteed", he said.

Mr Felix Asare Brobbey, Chairman of the Junior Staff Association of CEPS, said the association sought to help management in policy formulation and implementation to enhancing revenue collection.

GNA