GRA inaugurates special taskforce

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has inaugurated a 40-member special revenue mobilisation taskforce, to enforce compliance with tax laws and to get defaulting and potential taxpayers to honour their tax obligations.

The taskforce would be checking for the issuance of VAT/NHIL invoices by businesses, the filing of VAT/NHIL, Pay as You Earn, returns by the due dates, and the payment of any outstanding tax liabilities (debts) owed the GRA, among other things.

Mr George Blankson, Commissioner-General of the GRA, who inaugurated the taskforce, said it would help re-invigorate the enforcement of the tax laws and provide support to the compliance and enforcement and debt units in the various zonal offices.

He said the taskforce mandate would end in December by which time they would have helped to boost the revenue generation effort.

Mr Blankson said although revenue collection is on target, there is the need to step up mobilisation efforts to get recalcitrant and taxpayers outside the net to fulfill their tax obligations.

The Commissioner-General said the GRA would continue with its tax sensitisation and education programmes as it is its responsibility to make tax payment easier to enhance voluntary compliance.

He said there is the need to keep the revenue growth path to enhance contribution to the Gross Domestic Product.

Revenue generation has jumped to 18 per cent of GDP from a low of 12.9 per cent, following the rebasing of GDP figures.

Mr Blankson urged the taskforce members to keep surveillance over the businesses and not to abuse the confidence repose in them.

He advised businesses to be ready for the exercise in order to avoid the imposition of sanctions for non-compliance with the law.

Mr Alex Asamoah-Bonti, Acting Deputy Commissioner Medium Tax Payer Office, said the exercise is aimed at getting recalcitrant taxpayers to comply with the tax laws.