Deputy Minister appeals to companies to pay taxes

Mr. Fifi Kwetey, a Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, has appealed to companies operating in the country to honour their tax obligations.

He said the government was poised at maintaining the right macro-economic environment for both private and public businesses to flourish.

Mr. Kwetey was speaking at a ceremony at which a property of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), at Aflao, was formally handed over to MELCOM Ghana Limited, for commercial purposes.

Mr. Kwetey, joining other dignitaries to inspect the packed single storey store, commended the GRA for the deal with MELCOM, saying it supported the policy of promoting public/ private partnership and the creation of jobs.

Mr. Kwetey said the facility would raise the social and economic stakes of Aflao as a border town.

He said Aflao had been considered as one of the economic development zones of the country that needed to be improved to face-lift the country and the relocation of MELCOM to the border town was in that direction.

He said the positioning of MELCOM at the border area would facilitate the ECOWAS integration concept and appealed to the Togolese authorities, who were represented at the ceremony, to allow their citizens to shop at will at MELCOM.

Mr. Kwetey said it was gratifying that GRA had expressed commitment to its core revenue mobilization mandate, adding that as the country moved into another sphere in middle income level, it needed more revenue to meet the obligations.

Mr. George Blankson, Commissioner-General of GRA, said the letting out of the space to MELCOM was an innovation to keep the GRA vibrant and to supplement the retention revenue received from government for its operations.

“GRA is however focused on its core revenue collection mandate and I assure you we have exceeded our nine months target by about three percent,” he said.

Mr. Bhagwan Khuchandani, Chairman Melcom Group, said his company had 26 branches in Ghana, including Aflao, where it had operated for the past five years.

He said the Group would continue to adhere to good corporate practices for the benefit of the Group, the country and the local people.