The Ghana Community Network Services Limited (GCNet) has presented 450 laptops valued at $247,000.00 to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) towards boosting domestic revenue collection.
This forms part of GCNet's commitment to support the GRA and the nation to increase revenue generation for accelerated socio-economic development.
The laptops would facilitate the operations of field officers of the Domestic Tax Revenue Division (DTRD) of the GRA.
Presenting the items through the Ministry of Finance, the Executive Chairman of GCNet, Dr. Nortey Omaboe, expressed confidence that the laptops would help officers of the DTRD to use the trips TM system that GCNet had deployed, while on the go.
He pledged his side's continuous support to GRA in line with its commitment to contribute to resourcing field support officers to use the Total Revenue Integrated Processing Systems (trips TM) in building an efficient tax administration regime.
Mr Kweku Kwarteng, Deputy Minister of Finance in charge of Revenue, who received the laptops, expressed his excitement at the gesture, noting that it would greatly assist the Department to achieve the set targets.
"While DTRD officers have desktop computers installed for them at various tax offices, the flexibility to undertake field operations is constrained by the limited number of laptops presently available to them," he explained.
"This situation, for instance, constraints their capacity to undertake tax audits on the premises of the taxpayer efficiently".
Domestic tax revenue generated through GCNet's trips TM System alone, was GHC 19.4 billion at end of 2018.
This was largely responsible for the DTRD's ability to exceed its overall collection target of GHC 24.4bn by more than GHC 850m or 3.5% against planned collection target of GHC 23.5bn
Over the past five years, there has been a sustained increase in the domestic tax collection processed through (trips TM), from GHC 3bn generated in 2014, GHC 9bn in 2015 to almost GHC 12bn in 2016.
Since the introduction of (trips TM), for domestic tax collection, more GHS 55 billion has been collected. All 69 GRA tax offices of the DTRD are hooked on to the trips TM system.
In 2018, the DTRD exceeded its revenue target, with public sensitisation, infrastructure support from GCNet and diligence from the GRA Staff.
In another development, GCNet has extended logistic support to the Accra (Jamestown) Collection Office of the Customs Division of the GRA with items valued at more than $13,000.00.
The items include air-conditioners, office desks, table top fridges and office chairs.
Sector Commander for the Accra Collection Office, Mr. Emmanuel Ohene, commended GCNet for the gesture and noted that the logistic support would go a long way to enhance revenue collection efforts by the James Town office.
GCNet had also undertaken a massive refurbishment of the office in early 2016 at more than GHC300, 000.00.