Ammishaddai’s GRA workers union brings out scary skeletons in cupboard

The Ghana Revenue Authority Workers Union (GRAWU) has made allegations of a series of stinking and unacceptable practices happening at the Authority which is currently under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, in his capacity as Commissioner General. 

“GRAWU shall not hesitate to explore all available legitimate means available to us but not limited to demonstrations and strike to resist the current state of affairs to save our beloved Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) from sinking if these issues raised are not addressed with dispatch”, GRAWU noted in a statement of concern addressed to the Commissioner General, Rev. Dr. Ammishadai Owusu-Amoah,
The said statement from GRAWU and dated November 3, 2023 as sighted by The New Publisher reads:

STAFF CONCERNS

Ghana Revenue Authority Workers Union (GRAWU) as the Collective Bargaining Certificate (CBC) holder in GRA extends to you compliments. We wish to bring to your attention the following Staff concerns for immediate redress.

• Recruitments
Reliable information available to the Union indicates that Management has commenced recruitment of personnel into the Authority. This recruitment process has been shrouded in secrecy contrary to Articles 195, 196 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, Sec. 8 of the Public Services Commission Act 1994 (Act 482) as well as Public Services Commission Human Resource Policy guideline manual (2015).
The recruitment is taking place at Allied Heights, near Dzorwulu traffic lights and has been outsourced to a private firm, KPMG. We wish to state unequivocally that, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is a Public Service Institution as enshrined in Article 190 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and Sec. 7 of Act 482 and shall remain same and managed as such as prescribed under Ghana Revenue Authority Act 2009 (ACT 791).

It would be recalled that Organized Labour had raised strong concerns about the Management of the Authority’s finances which currently is in a distress position. It is therefore surprising that such intended recruitments which can equally be undertaken by the Human Resource Department of the Authority is being outsourced at a cost to GRA.

GRAWU is also aware that the ongoing recruitment exercise is being carried out without equal opportunity offered to Contract Staff (NaBCoInterns) who have been with the Authority for the past five (5) years. This mode of recruitment, in the view of the Union, is considered very unfair. These Officers, in the opinion of the Union having considered their experience gained on the job and the pledge made by Management to be offered the first option any time recruitment would be carried out in the Authority, cannot be left out. We have sighted a memo from HR Department hastily requesting for some details of these Contract staff (NaBCo Interns) with such a short submission time line. Sir, we have seen these kinds of requests from the HR Department in the year 2020 when interviews were even conducted but all ended in a mystery. This is contrary to the standard recruitment procedure as required of GRA being a Public Institution.

Sir, we wish to state that, this action of recruitment of external persons without first consideration of the contract staff must stop and be reversed. The timing for this exercise is even anti-revenue as much as it is demoralizing to our hardworking staff.

• UNDERMINING OF DEPARTMENTS IN GRA
Sir, we have closely observed how some Departments and Divisions have been run over the years with no substantive heads which we perceive to be a deliberate attempt to render performance of these heads ineffective so as to pave the way for external recruitments and outsourcing of their functions. This state of affairs has the tendency to not only demotivate the affected staff but also the entire staff of GRA since there is no prospect for progression of staff to the top Management. It has become crystal clear with the recent Head Count undertaken by External auditors (Audit Service). This we believe is because of the recent recruitment style of Management which is not ensuring that the Internal Audit Department performs such exercises that it used to. Furthermore, there is a functioning Information Technology Audit Unit, yet all review of internal IT systems for improvement or replacement are almost always outsourced. We wonder if GRA’s financial resources are limitless.

There is an appalling trend which clearly smears a mark of institutional failure and imminent collapse, where officers who have duly served in various capacities over decades in the Authority are only appointed into acting positions forever without confirmation. This trend must be reversed immediately.

• CONTRACTS
Information available to us also indicates that Management intends to procure Body Cameras for Customs Officers.
Infact, all of these procurements put pressure on our limited resources and GRAWU therefore wishes to ascertain value for money of such procurements.

GRAWU hereby resolves as follows:

• That the HR Department of GRA should be made to take absolute control of all recruitment processes intended to absorb our hardworking Contract staff (NaBCo Interns) who have acquired the necessary knowledge and experience. We will not hesitate to evolve provisions in the Right To Information Act to demand cleansing of the recruitment process.
• That the intended recruitment should be transparent and the criteria for selection made known and general procedures around the recruitment in accordance with provisions cited supra be followed in consonance with statute.
• That an independent investigation be conducted into the procurements of these IT Services, tools and terms of the contracts to ascertain value for money.
• That all Managers who have been appointed into acting positions for years should be allowed to go through interview processes at the Public Services Commission and duly appointed into those offices. The trend of Acting in perpetuity must stop, alternatively they must be confirmed as Substantive Heads.
• The intended procurement of Body Cameras for Customs Officers must also be re-examined for proper stakeholder engagement before these equipment are acquired.

Sir, staff are already agitated with the introduction of the overly ambitious Project X (GH¢150Bn) target which has only demoralized our efforts at achieving the GH¢115bn stretched targets that has also been compounded with these emerging issues.

GRAWU shall not hesitate to explore all available legitimate means available to us but not limited to demonstrations and strike to resist the current state of affairs to save our beloved Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) from sinking if these issues raised are not addressed with dispatch.

We look forward to an immediate resolution of these concerns and further engagements. Our doors are always open.

Thank you.
For and on behalf of GRAWU,