By Mortimer Yangharry
The Enga Provincial Government presented a total of K11.7 million as different tax payments to the Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) in Port Moresby recently.
The Enga Provincial Administrator Sandis Tsaka was accompanied by Provincial Treasuer Nathan Lapakio when they presented the K11.7 in cheque payments to IRC Commissioner General Sam Koim at the IRC HQ Office.
Enga Provincial Treasuer Nathan Lapakio mentioned that these K11.7 million tax payments represented GST Section 65A and Salary Wages Tax (SWT) deductions or withholdings for tax periods from February 2023 to December 2023.
“While the EPG, along with several District Development Authorities (DDAs) in Enga Province, has diligently complied with the GST Section 65A directive issued by the IRC, other DDAs, including the Enga Provincial Health Authority (EPHA), are yet to fully adhere,” Lapakio said.
On behalf of the IRC, Commissioner General Sam Koim said that to facilitate understanding and compliance with GST Section 65A, the IRC conducted regional workshops nationwide last year with a comprehensive training and awareness session for the Highlands Regional Bloc that took place in at the Highlander Hotel, Mount Hagen.
Enga Provincial Administrator Sandis Tsaka confirmed that during these workshops, the EPG expressed the need for tailored training on GST Section 65A and taxation in general within Enga Province.
“Although the IRC team agreed to conduct this requested session and made preparations accordingly, the training was unfortunately cancelled,” Tsaka said.
However, he added that despite this setback, the IRC Wabag Office has demonstrated commendable teamwork by collaborating closely with the EPG to implement the GST Section 65A directive effectively.
“Their collaborative efforts underline the importance of cooperation between government agencies in promoting tax compliance and revenue generation for the betterment of communities,” Tsaka said.
The Provincial Treasurer Nathan Lapakio concluded that this significant step taken by the Enga Provincial Government exemplifies its commitment to upholding tax regulations and contributing to the development of the province and the nation as a whole.
