GRA assures business community of changes in its revenue mobilization efforts

The Ghana Revenue Authority's (GRA) management has assured the business community of reforms in its revenue mobilization drive.According to the Authority, the 'Rambo-style' methods of tax collection were no longer in use.Addressing some members of the Parliamentary Press Corps at a day-long workshop on the Authority's operations in Accra over the weekend, Mr. Daniel Edisi, the Deputy Commissioner in charge of operations, stated that the Authority was more concerned with engaging taxpayers than with the deployment of force.He said: 'Now GRA is customer-centric, and please carry this message across, and let's work together because, without taxes, we can't grow our nation. We can't do anything. We go out there to collect loans and other things. It is somebody's citizens that have paid the tax. We also must endeavour to pay.''…GRA is ready to educate, to use channels like this to be able to reach out there for us to see the importance of taxation,' he said.Mr. Edisi explained that the workshop would hel p the public understand GRA's role as a development partner rather than a 'harassing agency.'Participants were taken through an overview of Ghanaian taxation, including the legal framework, the mandate and scope of GRA, taxpayer rights and obligations, registration, filing and payment, and policy initiatives.The press corps was also taught about personal tax relief, trade facilitation, revenue collection, preventive (security), and customs processes and procedures.The facilitators who tutored the Press Corps included Mr. Lawrence Hotsonyame, Assistant Commissioner, Training and Development; Chief Revenue Officer Edward Bagiyri, Head Import and Export Unit, and Mr. Alphonse Quainoo, Assistant Commissioner, Training and Development, Customs.Source: Ghana News Agency