GRA to roll out night market tax collection exercise
With pressure mounting on the government to double up its domestic revenue generation efforts, the tax collecting agency is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that businesses not captured in the tax net are enrolled.
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Consequently, the Commissioner General of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Reverend Ammishaddai Owusu- Amoah, has stated that night market economy taxation would be rolled out as part of initiatives to expand Ghana's tax net.
He said the authority’s core mandate was to improve tax compliance and increase revenue mobilisation towards the advancement of economic growth, hence efforts were underway to realise the required revenue.
The commissioner general made this known in a speech read on his behalf at the 3rd National Delegates Congress of the Ghana Revenue Authority Workers Union (GRAWU).
The Congress coincided with the launch of the Union’s 10th anniversary on the theme “GRAWU @ 10: Achievements and Challenges in Management- Labour Relations.”
As part of the initiatives being carried out, the Commissioner said Electronic Tax Clearance Certificate and Electronic VAT Invoicing were being piloted.
The national revenue collector is targetting to rope in 1,600 tax payers onto the electronic VAT implementation exercise. It is expected to enable it to protect not less than 90 per cent of VAT revenue.
This year alone, nine revenue ammendment bills have been passed with implementations underway, signalling an aggressive measure to meet and exceed revenue targets for the year and beyond.
Rev Owusu- Amoah commended staff of the authority for their passion and dedication, and urged them to work together to achieve objectives of the state by ensuring that the eligible tax payer did not stay out of the tax net. "Let us stand as union members, let us stand as workers of the GRA to defend any of these initiatives to propel growth and development".
Dialogue
Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Wireku Brobbey, stressed the significant roles Workers' Union play towards the country's growth and development.
Mr Brobbey advised GRAWU to adopt social dialogue and to constructively engage management and listen to each other, as that was important for labour progress and welfare of its members.
"Championing labour progress and welfare of members is important through constructive engagement with management, and social dialogue is one laudable principle of work of the International Labour Organisation".
In a solidarity message, the GRA Public Service Workers’ Association, PSWU of TUC, urged GRAWU to sustain partnership to improve the welfare status of staff, as well as a stronger trade union partnership and engagements with the Ghana Revenue Authority.
United front
In his address, the National Chairman of GRAWU, Mr Dominic A. Nartey, called for a united working front with management of the GRA to ensure high productivity, as the vision of the Union was to focus on the general well-being and better future of its members.
"We must establish a good working relation with management of the GRA to ensure high productivity because we play a key role in helping management on strategies to widen the tax net for national development", he stated.
Present at the Congress were Commandant of GRA Customs Academy, Assistant Commissioner Esther Sackey; national executive committee members, Management and Staff of GRA, Custom Division Staff Association and the National Communications Authority Staff.
United front
In his address, the National Chairman of GRAWU, Mr Dominic A. Nartey, called for a united working front with management of the GRA to ensure high productivity, as the vision of the Union was to focus on the general well-being and better future of its members.
"We must establish a good working relation with management of the GRA to ensure high productivity because we play a key role in helping management on strategies to widen the tax net for national development", he stated.
Present at the Congress were Commandant of GRA Customs Academy, Assistant Commissioner Esther Sackey; national executive committee members, Management and Staff of GRA, Custom Division Staff Association and the National Communications Authority Staff Association and the GRA Public Service Workers’ Association.