Dr Nortey Omaboe, the Executive Chairman of GCNet, donating the laptops said the assistance was made in response to an identified need by the DTRD to become more flexible in the use of TRIPS system that the GCNet had deployed.

He said although the DTRD officers had desk top computers installed for them at their various Tax Offices, their flexibility to undertake field operations were constrained by the limited number of laptops presently available to them.

“The situation constrained their capacity to undertake tax audits at tax payer premises efficiently,” Dr Omaboe said, adding that the provision of the laptops would help optimise the use of the TRIPS system, which had been deployed in 68 tax offices across the country.

He said the company believed that the provision of the laptops would also greatly help in the intensification of taxpayer registration and issuance of Tax Identification Numbers and the need to expand tax audits with better yields from such audits.

He said although 2017 was a remarkable revenue collection year for GRA (DTRD), the revenue target for 2018 made it imperative for it to re-double its efforts, adding that “half-way through the year, it is noted that the GRA has to take effective measures during the second half year for this to be possible”.

Dr Omaboe noted that the donation was not the only logistical support that GCNet had provided to the GRA, this year saying, “…we have provided the Customs Division with over 100 computers which are in use at the various customs stations…”

He said the donation made to the Customs Division was to facilitate the normal declaration processing, targeted compliance review and post clearance audits. He said GCNet had also provided Examination Officers with Computer Tablets to enable them input their consignment examination/inspection into the Ghana Customs Management Systems while conducting such examinations in the field to facilitate clearance processes.

He added that Officers of the Preventive Division had similarly been provided with Tablets and Android Phones to facilitate their tracking of transit cargoes whilst in the field.

Dr Omaboe said GCNet would not renege on its commitment to innovate and deploy new systems. Receiving the items on behalf of the Ministry, Mr Kwaku Kwarteng, a Deputy Minister for Finance, said the donation would help to enhance revenue collection.