The Eastern Highlands Provincial Government is committed to contracting with businesses that comply with their tax obligations.
Governor Peter Numu made this commitment in Goroka today, at a meeting held with the Internal Revenue Commission or IRC Commissioner-General Sam Koim and his team.
Eastern Highlands is the biggest of the Highlands provinces in terms of population and landmass.
According to IRC records, the province also has the largest number of registered taxpayers.
But only a few businesses are actively paying and filing on time.
Mr. Koim says with the provincial government empowering its people through agriculture projects, it will increase the people’s ability to buy goods and services from registered taxpayers.
This will raise taxes such as GST.
Goroka has a tax center that services all of Eastern Highlands including Kainantu.
Given the number of taxpayers in Kainantu town and the distance from Goroka, there is also some thinking to establish a branch there.
