Tax
collectors at our market centres have been cautioned to ensure monies collected
by them from market vendors are duly delivered to the municipal councils.
This
is a serious concern raised by the Lands and Regional Government minister,
while delivering a statement at the handing over of a multi-million dalasi
extension project of the Brikama market by Gamworks to the Brikama Area
Council.
It
is, indeed, very true that monies collected from the vendors at the market must
be delivered to the area councils, to realise the needed funds to undertake
national development projects, such as market construction, expansion of market
facilities and roads.
Good
facilities must be provided to the vendors, and even the general public, to
keep our nation on its cause of progress and development. It is, therefore,
cardinal that income and revenues collected by tax collectors at the market
centres are paid in to the area councils, to realise the necessary income for
the construction of market facilities and their upkeep.
Siphoning
off tax revenues by collectors is a serious setback to taxpayers, who toil
under sun and rain to eke out a living, as well as to the nation that continues
to struggle in providing optimal and standard public facilities for the use of
the general public.
“I
caution you all to be very careful. We are not going to spare anybody if you
are found wanting,” the Lands and Regional Government Minister warned.
“We
all know The Gambia, as a country, is a tax-based economy as at now, and our
main sources of income as a government to be able to embark on infrastructural
development is through the tax that is paid by the taxpayers.”
As
the Regional Government minister said, such forms of fraud are bedevilling
progress in society and making life hard for especially the average person.
The
habit of collecting taxes and delivering not to the appropriate places is
really a human rights offence, and a crime against humanity.
It
must be stopped, so that funds generated from taxes are used for the
development of the country and the progress of the nation.
“Force and fraud are in war the two cardinal
virtues.”
Author:
Thomas Hobbes
