GRA Launches Prosecution Policy

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has launched a prosecution policy document that will enable it to deal with tax defaulters.

With this new prosecution policy the GRA has been empowered to deal with tax defaulters and evaders.

At the launch of the policy in the Ashanti Regional, the Commissioner General of the GRA, Mr Emmanuel Kofi Nti, said the new policy will afford the Authority to vigorously pursue all tax defaulters including businesses who fail to comply with tax laws.

Mr. Emmanuel Kofi-Nti warned that the GRA will not hesitate to crack the whip in its efforts to ensure tax compliance.

“Let me use this opportunity to remind businesses and income earning persons that the GRA will be very tough on all tax defaulters’ and evaders,” Mr. Kofi-Nti noted.

He stressed that “GRA will go after all persons who failed to take advantage of opportunity.”

According to him, all the appropriate sanctions provided in the various tax acts including prosecutions will be visited on tax evaders and defaulters to make sure that all citizens contribute their quota to nation building.

“I wish to assure Ghanaians that GRA will henceforth crack the whip in our efforts to ensure equity in the payments of taxes. This is our pledge to our compatriots,” he emphasized.

According to GRA boss the new policy will aid tax compliance box to increase revenue generation. This prosecution documents will give grace the opportunity to prosecute recalcitrant noncompliance to become compliance.

‘’The prosecution will serve as effective deterrence to tax invaders or tax defaulters GRA will not use the prosecution document to harass the public and business community or avenue to settle personal or political scores

The prosecution policy is to be disseminated manually and electronically to all taxpayers and stakeholders to educate them on their responsibilities and consequences of failure to honour their tax obligations.

Although there are existing laws on tax payment, they had not been biting enough because of challenges in getting prosecutions through as expected.

Consequently, the GRA sought the help of the police and the judiciary to address the lapses, which led to the coming into being of the prosecution policy.

It has warned it will “bite hard” at recalcitrant tax defaulters and those who provide misleading information on their tax obligations.

The special guest of honour of the at the policy launch , the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Simon Osei-Mensah, said the ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ agenda of the government would not be realised if enough revenues were not brought into the national kitty to make Ghana financially independent.

While applauding the GRA for the initiative, he suggested the need to expand the tax net to incorporate more potential taxpayers.

Mr Osei-Mensah said much as the policy was laudable, citizens needed to be educated more on it so that they would be willing to honour their tax obligations to promote national development.

A representative of the Finance Minister, a Director in charge of Multilateral Relations at the Finance Ministry, Michael Ayensu called on the GRA to intensify tax education to ensure compliance by the public. 

He urged the GRA to ensure a tougher stance to make a difference on Ghana’s tax culture.

Mr. Ayensu noted that the policy was crucial for the national coffers as they needed to be replenished with funds to meet the aspirations of Ghanaians.

He suggested that all prosecutions of tax defaulters should be carried on national television to serve as a deterrent to would-be defaulters.

“Non-compliance in developed countries is a serious offence, and is punishable by law. As a country we need to take a cue from it if we want to get to where they have reached,” he said.

By: Ghana/Ultimatefmonline.com/106.9FM

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