Govt Tasks GRA To Collect GH�27.6 Billion

The government has tasked the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to collect GH¢27.6 billion revenue to help finance its key infrastructure projects this year.

The target represents an increase of GH¢5 billion more than the GH¢22 billion revenue generated by the GRA last year.

A Deputy Finance Minister, Ms Mona Helen Quartey, made this known at the maiden GRA Division of the Public Workers Union (PWU) of the Trades Union Congress delegates conference in Kumasi.
It was on the theme: “Effective revenue mobilisation for national development - the role of union.”

Ms Quartey said inadequate financial resources had been identified by the United Nations (UN) as a key constraint that could frustrate the attainment of the  Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

She said domestic revenue mobilisation was the key cornerstone for the achievement of national development goals and the SDGs.

The Deputy Finance Minister said despite the recent macroeconomic challenges, the Ghanaian economy over the past 10 years had recorded a robust average growth rate of 7.4 per cent compared to sub-Saharan Africa average of about 4.5 per cent for the same period.

Tax net

Ms Quartey was, however, unhappy that out of a potential taxable population of about six million in Ghana, only about two million people actually paid taxes.

She said that development had put pressure on the national budget and impeded the government's ability to meet legitimate development aspirations of all Ghanaians and called for further strengthening of the tax institutions.

She called on organised labour to see itself as a key and strategic partner to the government in the pursuit of broad economic growth and development in Ghana.