A Letter To Ghana Revenue Authority

Kofi Nti, Commissioner General, GRA

So in this technologically advanced age, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) wants us to be unnecessarily wasting our time at their offices just to register for TIN (Taxpayer Identification Number).

Exactly three weeks ago, I wanted to redraw some cash from my Ecobank account but as I got to the teller, I was told I can’t do so until I provide my TIN.

So I headed straight to the GRA office and filled a TIN form as I provided all the required personal details. I was told to go home and that in few days’ time, I will receive an SMS confirmation of my TIN.

As you may guess, three weeks have passed and I have still not heard a word from them. You can imagine if I really needed this money for a life-saving situation, like I wouldn’t have access to my own bank account all this while.

For crying out loud, almost every government sector is digitalizing their module of operation, and GRA cannot keep punishing us with their archaic service to Ghanaians which only brings about unnecessary traffic and delays.

The fascinating thing is that, some folks have attested to the fact that indeed their TINs were processed and issued them in a matter of minutes after registration. Others claim after several delays, they returned to the GRA office and paid a few Cedis to some GRA staff for their TIN to be given them in an hour or two.

If that is anything to go by, then it means even with the paper registration, the GRA staff can actually generate the TIN faster for people within a day. So why all these very unnecessary delays?

So back to my ordeal, here I am, done all the needful, but for the negligence of some folks, I can’t redraw money from my own bank account. Why must I suffer for the laziness of some government workers who are paid for working slower than a snail?

Indeed such lackadaisical attitude of some Ghanaians is the reason we are where we are today. You want extra cash (bribe) before you do what you are originally employed and paid to do.

It’s really a frustrating exercise to even begin to think of why it should even take more than a fortnight and still not get a response from an authority that preaches credibility but acts the opposite.

Ghanaians have come of age and we certainly deserve better than what we are seeing. GRA! It’s time to wake up to the reality of the current trends and let go of the Stone Age mentality. Let’s see the change majority of citizens voted for. Shalom!

Your Flabbergasted Citizen
Edward Kyei Frimpong
[email protected]