PAARS boosts revenue at GRA

Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) says its revenue generation has increased after the successful implementation of the Pre-Arrival Assessment Reporting System (PAARS).

Albert Kurugu, Senior Revenue Officer, Ghana Revenue Authority-Customs Division, who made this known at a workshop on Single Window in Accra, said revenue mobilized by Customs Division in 2015 increased by 1.66 percent.

This, he said, was as a result of the implementation of the PAARS.

“Our revenue target for 2015 was GHC8,036.23 million and we realized GHC8,169.55m which is remarkable,” Mr Kurugu said.

He explained that before the implementation of the PAARS, the Division hardly achieved its target, stating that “revenue target for 2014 was GHC7,010.32 and we were able to collect GHC6,865.20 and in 2013 revenue target was 5,993.42 and we collected GHC5,372.42.”

PAARS is a modernized system that has been developed by the Customs Division of GRA as part of the implementation of the National Single Window system to enhance revenue mobilization, improve border security and customs clearance, overcome duplication across regulatory agencies and promote trade facilitation.

Mr Kurugu said since the implementation of the PAARS, clearance documents of various stakeholders and clearing agents are processed in less than 48 hours to clear goods at the ports.

He said the system has brought some efficiency at the ports, reduced time and cost of doing business.

The customs official said in spite of the successes chalked so far through the implementation of the PAARS, there was still more room for improvement.

He said the single window would help attract investors into the country because it would ease the cost of doing business.