Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, has filed a Right to Information (RTI) application with the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).
His request seeks information regarding Rock City’s Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Tax Clearance Certificate.
Ablakwa alleged that Rock City Hotel, owned by Ghana’s Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, did not file tax returns for 2021 and 2022 despite bidding for a 60% stake in four SSNIT-owned hotels.
He argued this violates the Income Tax Act, 2015 (Act 896) and SSNIT’s Pre-Qualification Criteria, which should have led to Rock City’s disqualification.
In addition to the tax issues, Ablakwa has also requested the complete evaluation report and minutes of all tender committee meetings related to the hotel sale.
Highlighting the importance of transparency and accountability, Ablakwa urged SSNIT to promptly fulfill his RTI requests.
“Evidence that the Rock City Hotel Limited’s (with registration number CS075262016) bid for SSNIT’s hotels complied with the Income Tax Act, 2015 (Act 896) and SSNIT’s own pre-qualification criteria as advertised for Project Number: GR/SSNIT/CS/0001/2022 which mandated all bidders to present a valid Ghana Revenue Authority Tax Clearance Certificate.”
“This request has become imperative considering that Rock City’s record at GRA, which is now available to me, incontrovertibly confirms that Rock City did not file its annual tax returns in the fiscal years of 2021 and 2022. Indeed, Rock City’s attempt to file their annual tax returns for the years in issue were carried out belatedly in 2023 and 2024 respectively, long after SSNIT’s advertised deadline of 23rd March 2022.”
“The unimpeachable records also show that Rock City was fined an amount of GHS 4,390.00 by GRA as a penalty for filing the 2022 tax returns two years late, that is on May 23, 2024,” am excerpt of his petition said.
My RTI request to SSNIT demanding the following information:
— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) June 24, 2024
1) Evidence of Rock City’s GRA Tax Clearance Certificate as Rock City could not have produced a valid one during the tender because they had not filed their tax returns for 2021 and 2022. Per the provisions of the… pic.twitter.com/ZbJMCYDQ7O