GRA records GHC215.8m revenue shortfall for 2017 first quarter

The Ghana Revenue Authority has failed to achieve its target for the first quarter of 2017.

Of the GHC7.611 target, it managed to generate GHC7.396 million, thus a shortfall of GHC215.8 million The figure, however, showed a nominal growth of 17 per cent and real growth of 3.5 per cent over the same period for the year 2016.

The Revenue Authority has a target of GHC34 billion for 2017.

The Acting Commissioner General Emmanuel, Kofi Nti, reveal this at the Authority’s quarter review meeting in Accra Friday said the negative deviation should challenge the management and staff to implement the right strategies to achieve the target for the next quarter.

He advised the staff of the Authority to be ready to introduce innovations as it institutes performance management system to improve the sector.

“The Ghana revenue authority could not meet its target for the first quarter. This is not good for us, but I also believe this will serve as a challenge to combat and also motivate both staff and management to work harder to recoup and meet the targets for the subsequent targets,” he said.

Deputy Finance minister, Kwaku Agyeman Kwarteng, did not mince words in expressing disapproval over the Authority’s inability to collect the targeted revenue.

“Revenue mobilization will change. If we go on as we doing, we will not be able to do what we want to do, and that cannot continue”, he stated.

He added: “I will reserve my thoughts because we will have more intensive talks with management on this. There will be changes and we should all brave ourselves for this change”

The revenue authority earlier this week swore in a nine member board, to among other things introduce innovative ways of mobilizing revenue, to prevent shortfalls.