The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is set to roll out a new initiative aimed at simplifying tax filing for micro and small businesses across the country.
The initiative, dubbed the Modified Taxation Programme, is part of efforts to widen the tax net and seal domestic revenue loopholes.
Acting Commissioner-General of the GRA, Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, disclosed this in an interview with Joy Business following an engagement with executives and selected members of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) in Accra.
“For GRA, as tax administrators, we mobilise revenue for national development; therefore, we see businesses as one of the core partners that help us deliver on our mandate,” he stated.
“If businesses grow and thrive and are supported, we believe that they will make the necessary profit, and we can also collect our taxes. So in this respect, GUTA is a big stakeholder in our partnership, hence the need to meet some of the executives to explain to them some of the tax measures.”
According to Mr. Sarpong, the Modified Taxation Programme will provide a platform for small-scale businesses to register and pay taxes in a more convenient and flexible manner.
The engagement with GUTA forms part of a broader strategy by the GRA to build a more customer-friendly environment and boost voluntary tax compliance.
“The engagement has been very fruitful. We had the opportunity to explain some challenges businesses face in their tax filing process,” Mr. Sarpong noted.
“We have agreed to hold quarterly engagements with them to address their concerns. Also, we are working to register many of their members who are currently not on the tax roll.”
He added that GRA officials will soon visit markets to sensitise traders and micro business operators directly, ahead of the formal launch of the Modified Taxation Programme.
President of GUTA, Dr. Joseph Obeng, welcomed the move, saying regular interactions with tax authorities will improve transparency and increase business confidence in the government’s revenue mobilisation efforts.
Mr. Sarpong also indicated that concerns raised during the engagement would be relayed to the Finance Minister for further consideration.