The Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Michael Okyere Baafi, has called on the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to adopt a more persuasive approach in its tax collection efforts, moving away from intimidation tactics. This call comes in response to concerns raised by members of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) in the Ashanti Region, who have reported ongoing discrimination and intimidation by officials of the Customs Division of the GRA.
Speaking at the National Sales Leaders Conference in Accra Deputy Minister highlighted the need for the GRA to employ more strategic methods in engaging with taxpayers. He said he has shared his perspective during one of the board meetings at the GRA:
“One of the board meetings that I attended at the Ghana Revenue Authority, I was sharing a view with the board members that it is high time the GRA as an institution moved away from enforcement to being part and parcel of the system. So that they can see the taxpayer as somebody who is important to government business so they have to pamper them and get the attention to get more. By that, we are sure we will be able to generate or get a lot of revenue for the state.”
