GRA Highly Commended

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has received a higher mark for improving on its internal control systems in the bid to block revenue leakages.

Mr Richard Kwadwo Adu, the Assemblyman for Ntoase Electoral Area in the Wenchi Municipality said commitments exhibited by the Mr Emmanuel Kofi Nti, the Commissioner General of the GRA to preventing smuggling and strengthening the tax net was highly commendable.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra, underlined the need for the GRA to put in place monitoring mechanism of goods in transit to ensure "they are not repackaged and sold in the country".

"The directive issued by the Commissioner General to tax officers to ensure that all goods in transit to other countries are containerised and tracked to prevent their overstay on our major roads and within borders as well as avoid re-export into Ghana without paying the requisite taxes is in the right direction", he stated.

That notwithstanding, Mr Adu who contested the Brong-Ahafo Regional Youth Organiser position of the NPP, but lost the election said the GRA had a huge task to ensure that national revenue mobilisation was improved to make President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's vision to developing the country beyond aid a reality.

He indicated the role of importers to enhancing the national tax net was very essential hence, the need for the GRA to strengthen it controls to lessen the burden of importers.

Another area, Mr Adu said the Commissioner General required commendation was the introduction of the GRA Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), which he added would, widened the tax network in general.

He observed that until tax payers honour their tax obligations, the country could not generate the required revenue for development and appealed to traders, importers and exporters to pay their taxes regularly.

Mr Adu said the government was on course, but added that the Free Senior High School and the Planting for Food and Jobs could be sustained and benefit more people if the citizens paid their taxes for government to generate the needed revenue.