Govt to set up task force to collect fees

THE government will set up a task force made up of officers from various agencies to generate revenue.
This is part of the 100-day plan announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Charles Abel last Friday.
Abel said the task force would be made up of officers from the Department of Lands and Physical Planning and Customs. They will be tasked with collecting outstanding taxes, fees and other charges.
“There is some K200 million outstanding in land rentals and income tax. There are issues on illicit trading customs that we will also look at,” Abel said.
“Some of this work has already been done. We are not going to reinvent the wheel. We will pick up where somebody’s work has been done and support to raise revenue.”
Abel said in line with the plan, non-tax revenue agencies will remit 90 per cent of collections in the consolidated revenue fund.
He said there were agencies of government running parallel systems.
“I’m struggling with the budget yet I know there’s significant revenue in our government systems collected by other agencies of government that do not come and hit the consolidated revenue in the first instance,” Abel said.
“That has to change because there is one budget in Papua New Guinea.
“When we sit and put our plans, priorities and projects, the revenue must go to that budget.”