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GRA launches Prosecution Policy to fight tax evasion

• By EDMOND GYEBI
• May 01, 2019
• 35

The Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr Emmanuel Kofi Nti has said the authority had resolved to use prosecution as a significant tool to ensure that the public pay their tax.

He said the GRA's intention is to increase the use of prosecutions as one of its weapons in the fight against non-compliance, tax evasion, tax and customs fraud.

The era of business as usual at Ghana Revenue Authority, he said is gone forever, and going forward, it is going to bite hard.

Mr Kofi Nti, said this at the launch of Ghana Revenue Authority prosecution policy on Tuesday, April 30, 2019 in Kumasi.

He said with the launch of the prosecution policy the GRA is giving all income earners, potential and existing recalcitrant taxpayers the opportunity to amend their ways and become compliant.

The GRA, he said has for the past two years, intensified its public education and sensitisation programmes nationwide to deepen awareness of various topical tax issues and the need to be tax compliant to avoid any infractions of the tax laws which might lead to GRA initiating prosecutions.

He therefore, encouraged the general public especially income earners to be well acquainted with their obligations under the tax laws and the prosecution policy documents to be well guided to prevent any infraction.

On his part, the Finance Minister, Hon. Ken Ofori Attah, expressed support to the prosecution policy which he says has been much expected.

He said the ministry will collaborate with the top management of GRA to provide the needed resources and logistics to enable the legal department work to achieve it prosecution goals including providing the capacity of staff of the department.

He charged the top management of GRA to ensure that the legal affairs and treaties department becomes the  controlling office for all matters related to prosecution of tax offences albeit with the collaboration of other relevant departments, units.

He was deputised at the programme by the Coordinating Director at the Ministry of Finance in-charge of Operations, Mr Michael Ayesu.

Source: WatchGhana.Com/Elisha Adarkwah