The National Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Henry Nana Boakye has slammed the Ghana Revenue Authority for what he describes as the widespread method of stationing tax officer at restaurants, shops and at business centres in the Ashanti region.
He issued a statement on social media which read “widespread approach of stationing revenue officers at businesses is counterproductive, oppressive, repressive, and suppressive”
“We are not in normal times – businesses and individuals are bearing the brunt of the twin global crisis and their concomitant economic agony – and the least expected from GRA is to police traders whom no tax evasion findings have been made against.”
“In this day of technology, GRA should adopt welcoming and pleasant ways of revenue collection strategy that engenders revenue assurance. This strategy is weak and lame since Revenue Officers stationed at these shops and businesses can be compromised to aid owners to evade or under-declare their taxes. GRA should rather strive to reduce human contact in revenue collection and employ technological solutions to take taxes from businesses the National Youth Organizer added.
“Paying taxes in not a pleasant thing and for that matter, a responsive PR approach must be adopted to educate the tax-paying population about their programmes and activities” Nana B explained
The Ghana Revenue Authority rolled out the new certified VAT invoicing system to block all leakages in tax collection in the country.
This new system per the VAT Act 870 amendment is certified by the Commissioner-General. Some companies have already suffered closure from the Authority.
The Authority explained the rationale behind the business shutdown spree. “We want to improve compliance. We are more interested in collaboration than chaining businesses to pay their taxes. But we have no option at this moment than to move swiftly to ensure the right thing is done,” Kwesi Eghan, Deputy Commissioner, Operations-DTRD explained.
