The Ghana Union of Traders’ Associations (GUTA) has pledged to mobilise its members to cooperate with the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) as the Authority intensifies efforts to improve Value Added Tax (VAT) compliance across the country.
GUTA President Clement Boateng said cooperation between the tax authority and the business community would be critical to ensuring that the nationwide VAT Compliance Campaign achieves its objective without creating unnecessary tension between officials and traders.
He urged GRA officers who would be deployed to markets and business premises to adopt a friendly and accommodating approach when engaging traders.
Mr Boateng made the call at the launch of the VAT Compliance Campaign, which is expected to combine education, sensitisation, awareness creation and enforcement to ensure that businesses that qualify to charge VAT meet their tax obligations.
He said while GUTA recognised the importance of tax revenue to Ghana’s development, the manner in which compliance activities were conducted could influence the willingness of businesses to cooperate with the GRA.
“What I will entreat GRA to do is to attach a human face when the time comes for them to go to the market for the exercise. Their officers who will be deployed to the markets should be friendly and accommodative in carrying out their duty,” he said.
Mr Boateng also called on the GRA to broaden its public education campaign by explaining to consumers the benefits and incentives associated with demanding VAT invoices when they make purchases.
According to him, consumers have an important role to play in strengthening the VAT system by insisting on receiving the appropriate tax invoices for their transactions.
He said GUTA would, on its part, encourage traders to cooperate with the GRA throughout the exercise to facilitate a smooth implementation of the campaign.
“GUTA on our part will also encourage our members to be cooperative so that together we will have a smooth program and improve on our tax to GDP ratio for the betterment of Mother Ghana,” he stressed.
The GUTA President said taxation remained an important source of funding for national development and that Ghana, like other countries, depended on tax revenue to finance its development agenda.
“As we are all aware, every country needs tax to embark on its developmental agenda and our dear country Ghana is no exception,” he said.
The VAT Compliance Campaign is expected to take the GRA’s education and sensitisation efforts to businesses while also enforcing compliance among taxpayers who fall within the VAT regime.
