GRA to introduce informant reward system to arrest tax evaders

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is set to roll out an informant reward system to motivate people who will provide information leading to the recovery of taxes.

The move is to help crack the whip on tax evaders, streamline the tax system and increase revenue.

The acting Commissioner-General of the GRA, Mr Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, disclosed this in Kumasi during the GRA’s annual management retreat last Friday.

The two-day retreat, on the theme: "Road map to excellence", was to equip the staff to exhibit the highest level of excellence in their professional conduct.

It was part of efforts to redefine strategies that would help the GRA achieve revenue targets and other transformational targets for the year.

Strategy for 2020

Mr Owusu-Amoah said the GRA would authorise banks to accept the payment of taxes on its behalf and introduce the payment of vehicle income tax and tax stamp payments via mobile money as part of strategies to increase tax collection.

He said the authority would automate the payment of Value Added Tax by linking the teller systems of VAT-registered businesses to a centralised database to ensure that VAT collected was credited to the authority in real time.

He also hinted that it would automate the filling of returns, issuance of tax clearance certificates, withholding tax credit and other certifications.

The GRA, he added, was re-equipping staff with new ideas to stay focused to be able to deliver on its promise.

Target

The Commissioner-General said the GRA exceeded its tax revenue target for 2019.

"The GRA was able to collect GH¢43.9 billion, against the targeted GH¢42.08 billion," he said.

Mr Owusu-Amoah attributed the realisation of the target to vigorous and issue-based audits, especially in the petroleum sector, massive debt collection exercises, the rigorous examination of imports, increase in the communications service tax in the last quarter of the year, enforcement of excise tax stamp and the introduction of the tax stamp authenticator.

The Otumfuo Mmawerehene, Baffour Hyeaman Brentuo VI, who represented the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, appealed to the GRA to build a staff housing facility to accommodate its members of staff in the Ashanti Region.