The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has surpassed its goal of enrolling 600 large companies onto its Electronic (E)-VAT platform, successfully signing up 40 additional firms.
In May 2024, the GRA committed to integrating over 600 large companies into its E-VAT system by June to improve revenue collection and oversight.
During a brief meeting with the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, Rev. Dr. Paul Boafo, GRA Board Chair Joe Ghartey revealed that the Authority plans to add even more companies to its E-VAT platform.
“For example, there is a policy of digitizing the collection units. Studies have shown that if tax collection is digitized, it’s easier to monitor and it will increase revenue.”
“In the beginning, it was difficult to let people understand. So the GRA set a target of 600 large companies to be on-boarded. This simply means that the company should be put on a system which is digitized. By the time the GRA was declaring their final result, they have reached 640, passing the target by 40.”
Mr. Ghartey expressed hope that the GRA can increase its target for the next two months.
“Management has set another target for the next two months but the board has set a higher target. And I know they will succeed by God’s grace”.
The Commissioner-General of the GRA, Julie Essiam stressed the need to develop partnerships with various faith based organisations to educate the public about tax compliance.
“As we move forward, our vision is to leverage this pioneering partnership as an operating model across all faith based organisations”, she said.
The Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana, Rev. Dr. Paul Boafo, called on the public to follow Ghanaian laws and contribute to the country’s socio-economic progress.
The visit by the GRA to the Presiding Bishop was aimed at strengthening its collaboration with the church.
The delegation, which included the Commissioner General, the Board Chair of GRA, board members, Deputy Commissioners, and other senior staff, conducted the visit.
To meet its annual revenue target of ¢149 billion by the end of 2024, the GRA plans to collaborate with various faith-based organizations to raise awareness about tax compliance and encourage societal adherence to tax obligations.