Ghanaian business mogul Jinsah Abdul-Matheen Sali, alias General Matheen, has welcomed the announcement by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) that it will abandon the Rambo-style manner of retrieving taxes from companies.
General Matheen told GhanaWeb in an interview that the decision by the GRA is commendable and will increase investor confidence in the country.
He condemned the persistent harassment of businesses, noting that the practice was becoming a disincentive to businesses.
General Matheen urged the GRA and the government to find a more diplomatic and decorous way of dealing with companies.
He noted that the new measure will enhance business operations and give potential investors the belief that Ghana is a great destination for businesses.
“The GRA’s decision to stop harassing businesses is long overdue. As a businessman, it is sometimes frustrating to see some of these things, so for them to finally come to the realization that it is inimical to businesses and have decided to change is great news.
“It’s great news for the businesses because we now know these things that sometimes court us shame and disgrace from the public will exist no more,” he said.
General Matheen, however, urged businesses to honor their tax obligations as the taxes are the backbone of the country’s developmental projects.
It will be recalled that the Ghana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) management assured the business community of reforms in its revenue mobilization drive.
Addressing some members of the Parliamentary Press Corps at a day-long workshop on the Authority’s operations in Accra over the weekend, Mr. Daniel Edisi, the Deputy Commissioner in charge of operations, stated that the Authority was more concerned with engaging taxpayers than with the deployment of force.
He said: “Now GRA is customer-centric, and please carry this message across, and let’s work together because, without taxes, we can’t grow our nation. We can’t do anything. We go out there to collect loans and other things. It is somebody’s citizens that have paid the tax. We also must endeavor to pay.”
“…GRA is ready to educate, to use channels like this to be able to reach out there for us to see the importance of taxation,” he said.
EK
