On June 28, 2018, held in Notsé on the Independence Square, a sensitization session on the payment of taxes. This awareness was organized by the commune of Notsé with the collaboration of the Treasury of the Haho Prefecture, the prefectural agency of the Togolese Revenue Agency (OTR) and Enterprises Territories Development (ETD).

Awareness raising aims to improve the tax collection rate and brought together economic operators, development committee leaders and neighborhood leaders.

ETD has participated as a support to the commune of Notsè since 2010. In fact, the support of ETD in strengthening the mobilization of financial resources has allowed the consolidation of the revenue rate of this community. Nevertheless, efforts remain to be made.

The Taxpayer Awareness Session on Tax Payments began with an ecumenical prayer followed by a welcome from the General Secretary (SG) of the community, representing the President of the Special Delegation (PDS).

In her speech, the SG presented the context of the meeting. Indeed, according to the law on decentralization and local liberties in Togo amended on January 31, 2018, local authorities have the competence to ensure the development of their territories through the mobilization of resources. Also, the General Tax Code having defined the taxes that communities and the OTR can collect, the adherence of taxpayers is a necessity.

Two main communications have furnished awareness. The first was animated by an Agent of the Treasury and covered the taxes collected by the municipality: the royalties of occupation of the public domain, the congestion charge of the public road, the tax on publicity and the tax of installation.

As for the second communication, it concerned the Unique Professional Tax (TPU) and was presented by an agent of the OTR. Collected by the OTR, the TPU is a tax on which the municipality receives rebates. It is reserved for micro-enterprises, artisans and small businesses. The TPU is payable in four installments and pays the following taxes: Personal Income Tax (IRPP), Minimum Flat-rate Tax (MFI), Business Tax (TP), Salary Tax (TS) and Value Tax. Added (VAT).

The Agent of the OTR also reminded the obligation for the economic operators to present their balance of the past year to the OTR no later than March 31 of the current year, in accordance with the General Tax Code, for the calculation of the levy. The balance sheet will prevent inappropriate taxation and litigation between the parties, he insisted.

Following these two communications, the moderator read the amounts of the various taxes collected by the community according to the communal deliberation and the floor was given to the participants. Their reactions focused on the merits of the various taxes and the possibility of revising them downwards. Most argued that these taxes are too high and asked a variety of questions about what the community is doing.

The activities of the communicators, the Local Finance Advisor, the moderate Manager and the SG of the municipality helped to shed light on each other. However, the SG has promised to report the grievances made to the special delegation of the municipality. In addition, participants felt that awareness was timely and wanted it to be regular for community development.

Awareness ended with a new ecumenical prayer following the words of thanks from the SG to the participants, the Prefectural Treasury, the OTR Prefectural Agency and ETD.