GRA to introduce e-payment for informal sector

The Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Kofi Nti has said the Authority would soon introduce an e-payment platform for tax payers in the informal sector to make tax payment simple and convenient.

He said this would enable small scale tax payers, who dominate in the Small and Medium Enterprise, to pay their taxes through mobile money platforms.

“This certainly will save time for the operators in the sector,” he added.

Mr Nti was speaking at the maiden edition of the Zenith SMEs/Corporate Breakfast Forum in Accra.

The Forum, in collaboration with Firmus Advisory Limited, was on the theme: “Empowering the Private Sector to Maximise Revenue through Compliance with Ghana’s Tax Reforms.”

It brought together the leadership of Zenith Bank, representatives of the GRA, stakeholders and customers of the Bank for an informative session and deliberation on the recent tax reforms introduced by the Government.

The event was also aimed at assessing the impact of these tax reforms on the growth of businesses and Ghana’s economy.

Mr Nti said the Authority was currently implementing initiatives and reforms aimed at improving revenue mobilisation, economic growth and accelerated development.

He said all those reforms were to boost tax administration in the country and expressed the hope that the private sector would embrace the reforms to improve on compliance level, which would ultimately improve revenue mobilisation.

The Commissioner-General said the Authority would also be establishing business support units at all their GRA offices to support businesses to grow and keep their tax obligations in terms of filing tax returns.

“The GRA does not in any way support the collapse of businesses but rather we help your businesses to grow and expand.”

Mr Nti said the Authority would do all it could and within its powers to ensure that every Ghanaian got fair treatment.

He said GRA would also introduce the Integrated Tax Application Systems, an electronic filing system, to enable taxpayers file their personal income tax and returns online in the comfort of their rooms and offices with other modules soon to be inputted.

He encouraged the public to insist on not buying products that had no excise tax stamp on them.

“If the product has the stamp, it means the company has been approved by the Food and Drugs Authority and the Ghana Standards Authority,” he said.

He said GRA was not only interested in looking for revenue but also wanted to help the public consume healthy products.

Mr Henry Oroh, the Managing Director, Zenith Bank Ghana Limited, said the customer engagement initiative was underpinned by the Bank’s mission “to continue to invest in the people, technology and environment to underscore our commitment to achieving customer enthusiasm.”

It was also to support government initiatives at ensuring tax compliance across the length and breadth of corporate Ghana.

He said the Bank’s goal was to complement government’s effort to strengthen and enforce compliance in the country in 2019 and beyond.

Mr Oroh said the Bank understood that Small Scale Enterprises were the driving force of a country’s economy.

The MD reiterated its firm commitment to supporting the growth of its customers’ businesses and contribute to the expansion of Ghana’s economy in general.

 

Source: GNA