GRA speaks on delay on implementation of the new taxes

The Ghana Revenue Authority has revealed why the implementation of five (5) tax bills passed by Parliament in 2023 has been delayed.

Before their December 2023 break, Parliament passed five new tax bills, namely the VAT Amendment Bill, which may increase motor insurance by more than 30% this year; the Emission Levy, which imposes another annual 100 cents on petroleum and diesel car owners; and the Betting Tax.

However, with the new bills yet to be implemented, the Commissioner General of the GRA, Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, said that some conditions must be met before enforcement.

“Normally, once Parliament has approved the bill, there could be some amendments and changes in the approval process. So even though our team has put together patterns for the approval processes, we cannot put them out until the final bill is given to us.”

“If you implement it and there are changes to be made, you have to go back and make all those changes. That is why we need to wait. The aim was to start on January 1, 2024, but we need to wait for the final bill,” Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah said on Rainbow Radio Accra.