GRA launches online portal for tax collection

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), in partnership with the Ghana Community Network Services Limited (GCNet), has launched an online portal to easily facilitate compliance, processing and collection of taxes by the authority.

Dubbed, “e-Gov”, the portal is an electronic gateway for conducting business with the domestic tax revenue division of GRA, intended to eliminate impediments that were often associated with the tax collection process.

Services on offer on the portal include online taxpayer identification number, registration, an electronic medium for taxpayers to be served and receive their tax assessments, for them to file returns, make online payments and verify taxpayer account balances.

Speaking at the launch in Accra last Tuesday, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Seth Terkper, said the launch of the portal was part of measures being introduced by the government to improve efficiency in revenue collection while removing constraints that act as a disincentive to taxpayers.

He underlined the importance of tax mobilisation to the government and stressed the need, therefore, for tax administrations to set up systems and preferences to make it easy for taxpayers and citizens to meet their obligations.

Mr Terkper said the solution to the country’s economic challenges whether they were temporary or deeply rooted in the productivity of the country, rested on the GRA. 

“It is an institution that must involve sustainable system and process to make the country keep a minimum level of sustenance for our social intervention programmes, wages and salaries and development expenditure,” Mr Terkper stressed.

Other benefits of platform

Mr Terkper said beyond making the tax payment processes easier for taxpayers, the main GRA automated system had also been configured to interface with the Ghana Customs Management Systems (GCMS) as well as the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).

He said through the linkage with GIFMIS in particular, the Finance Ministry would ensure that it was able to better link available revenue to expenditures and in so doing, track budgetary allocations, their effective utilisation, as well as maintain an improved control of budgetary expenditures.

Mr Terkper said in as much as the main mandate of the GRA was to collect taxes, it also had the responsibility to make taxpayers who did not comply with the law, to fulfil their obligations.

“By simplifying the process for tax payment, “I will also expect that the level of compliance for tax payment will improve significantly, ” Mr Terkper added.

Objectives

In his address, the Commissioner-General of GRA, Mr George Blankson, said one of the objectives of the automation programme was to broaden the tax base of the Authority.

That, he said, would be done by initially gathering the needed data on taxpayers, use the information gathered to make the services of GRA more transparent and efficient, and by so doing, increase compliance levels and ultimately broaden the tax base.

Additionally, he said the portal was also to develop an Information Technology enabled industry, contribute to improved efficiency and transparency of selected government functions through e-government applications.

The Executive Chairman of GCNet, Dr Nortey Omaboe, pledged the company’s commitment to support initiatives that would promote the growth and development of the economy.