PM urges people to pay taxes

 By GYNNIE KERO

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has urged the people to pay taxes to boost the country’s revenue.

He said Papua New Guineans should pay their share of the tax burden because it was their duty as citizens.

O’Neill had highlighted K600 million revenue generated by the Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) last year.

O’Neill said the government fully supported the work done by the tax review committee headed by Sir Nagora Bogan.

“I want to assure you that we are working with tax office (IRC) to capture those who are deliberately avoiding the payment of tax.

“Over the next few weeks, you will see new form of registration … that means in order for you to have a bank account, you must have a tax file number and you must have company registration number. 

“Before you register a company you must have a tax file number,” O’Neill said. 

“We all have to pay our own share for the development of our country and that is one way.”

O’Neill said: “I tell you why we did this – last year, when commodity prices fell, we went out to collect tax dollars to make the revenue meet the next budget.

“The good thing is the tax office (IRC) was able to collect an extra K600 million last year. 

“If we did not collect that much, we would have a bigger deficit, that is why the government is putting bigger effort to making sure we work together with private sector making sure we all pay our tax share.

“Tax office was able to collect that much and this means there is room for us to increase revenue .

“There is room for more revenue through  tax collection,” O’Neill said.