…as GCNet donates 150 laptops to Ministry of Finance
Increasingly, it is becoming imperative for government to re-double efforts at revenue generation, if it is to realise its ambitious policies and targets, Dr. Nortey K. Omaboe, the Executive Chairman of GCNet has opined.
He has therefore, expressed the need to make the use of the Total Revenue Integrated Processing System (TRIPS) more flexible.
The mid-year budget review statement reveals that, for the first half this year, the total revenue and grants amount of GHS 17,384.7 million – 7.2 percent of GDP – represents 34.1 percent of the annual target.
This represents a per annum growth of 14.8 percent despite being 7.6 percent below the programmed target of GHS 18,813.5 million.
In response to this identified need, therefore, GCNet has donated 150 Dell Laptops to the Ministry of Finance for use by the Domestic Tax Revenue Division (DTRD).
At the presentation, Dr. Omaboe noted that whilst DTRD Officers have desk top computers installed for them at their various Tax Offices, their flexibility to undertake field operations are constrained by the limited number of laptops presently available to them.
This situation, for instance, constrains their capacity to undertake tax audits at tax payer premises efficiently.
“Having deployed the TRIPS system for the DTRD in 68 Tax Offices throughout the country, that is, the large, medium and small tax offices, the provision of these laptops will greatly optimize the use of the system.”
This is expected to help the DTRD realize its revenue target for 2018.
Although 2017 was a remarkable revenue collection year for GRA (DTRD), Dr. Omaboe said, the revenue target for 2018 makes it more imperative for it to re-double its efforts.
Of the provisional outturn for Total Revenue and Grants, as revealed in the mid-year budget, non-oil Tax Revenue accounts for 73.7 percent.
Non-Oil Tax Revenue amounted to GHS 12,807.1 million (5.3 percent of GDP), compared to a programmed target of GHS 14,308.4 million (5.9 percent of GDP).
The outturn constitutes 32.8 percent of the annual target and a per annum growth of 11.4 percent, compared to 12.4 percent during the same period in 2017.
With these new computer hardware, the officers will be duly equipped to embark upon exercises in pursuit of policy goals outlined during the Mid-Year Budget Review, such as the efforts at widening the tax net, the tax compliance measures, the intensification of taxpayer registration and issuance of TINs to them, as well as the need to expand tax audits with better yields from such audits.
The provision of the laptops has not been the only logistical support that GCNet has provided the GRA this year.
In the meantime, Dr. Omaboe disclosed that GCNet is also engaged in serious discussions with the Preventive Division of GRA (Customs) with the view to supporting the Division to optimize usage of the deployed system whilst it takes certain radical measures to check abuse of the Customs suspense regimes.
Upon receipt the laptops, Deputy Minister of Finance, Kwaku Kwarteng, stated that the laptops will go a long way to aid in the discharge of the duties of their officers in charge of the TRIPS system.
The Deputy Minister noted that the TRIPs system is a critical facility for government.
“It has been our concern that our men on the ground do not have enough of the devices that will help them fully work within the framework of TRIPS. So this donation will equip us to be able to do that more. It will improve our own capacity to benefit maximally from the equipment you have deployed.”
By Joshua W. Amlanu
