The Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Madam Julie Essiam, has emphasized the crucial role of the media in ensuring that the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) remains accountable and diligent in fulfilling its duties.
Informed and responsible media coverage, she said, can compel the GRA to improve its performance, while also educating the public about their tax obligations.
In an address delivered on her behalf by Mr Daniel Adisi, GRA Deputy Commissioner of Operations at a day’s training workshop for members of the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC) on Friday August 23 at Best Western Hotel in Nungua, Accra, Julie Essiam urged media practitioners to therefore deepen their understanding of tax laws to enhance the quality and accuracy of their reporting.
The worship aimed to enhance the knowledge and reporting skills of media practitioners on taxation and customs operations
According to her, informed media reportage will put the GRA on its toes and live up to its responsibilities, while taxpayers and potential taxpayers would be informed of their obligations and thereby comply with the tax laws.
The Commissioner-General underscored the statutory nature of taxation and the GRA’s mandate to administer tax laws for effective revenue mobilization.
She said, “Taxation is a ‘creature of statute.’ This means that taxation is not based on common law or judicial decisions, but on explicit legislative enactments.”
She acknowledged the challenges the PPC members face in balancing their busy schedules and other important assignments hence it was not easy getting all members to participate in workshops.
Madam Essiam commended the leadership of the PPC and expressed gratitude to the Dean for the collaboration and looked forward to more engagements to demystify the concept of taxation.
“We look forward to more engagements to demystify the concept of taxation to the extent that we will all be equipped with the right information,” she stated
In his address, Dean of the Parliamentary Press Corps, Simon Againab, lauded the GRA for its impactful tax policies and underscored the significance of the GRA’s work in national development.
He underscored the importance of understanding the GRA’s evolving role in driving Ghana’s economic growth through taxation and emphasized the transformative tax measures the GRA has implemented since 2021, which have led to positive outcomes for the country.
“Today, we will delve into the operations of the Authority, especially tax measures they have introduced since 2021, which have yielded positive results for our great nation.”
The Dean also took the opportunity to acknowledge the GRA’s achievements over the last four years, highlighting their resilience in overcoming challenges while continuously striving to improve the country’s tax systems.
He urged participants to focus on the GRA’s vision for the future, encouraging discussion on how the authority’s work would evolve in the next five years.
Mr. Againab expressed the workshop will provide valuable insights into the GRA’s operations and the impact of their operations, especially the revenue mobilization drive the Ghanaian economy.