The Ghana Revenue Au­thority (GRA) has launched a strategic national capacity training programme for senior officers.

Dubbed: ‘General Compe­tency Development Programme for Senior Officers,’ it is meant to upgrade their skills and knowledge to improve on their performances.

The programme aimed at equipping senior officers to form part of a transformational agenda of the GRA, to train 4,000 Assistant Revenue Offi­cers, Senior Revenue Officers, and Principal Revenue Officers to enable the institution to meet its set target in revenue mobilisation for development.

The programme commenced with 90 senior officers selected from a total of 4,000 officers set to benefit from the in-service training programme, the Com­missioner of the Special Services Department (SSD) of the GRA, Mr Alex Adomako, stated that his department had initiated a transformational agenda aimed at fulfilling its mandate of mobil­ising sufficient revenue for the nation.

He said GRA was undergoing transformation, with personnel being central to its operations; thus, the capacity building programme was designed to adequately prepare them for the challenges ahead.

The Commissioner highlighted the necessity for senior officers to comprehend the various roles they fulfil, enabling them to influence and enhance performance while maintaining standards to align with the institution’s mandate.

Mr Adomako underscored that integrity was fundamental to public service and urged the officers to adhere to the code of ethics and conduct, noting that their actions and inactions could potentially undermine public trust and the integrity of the GRA, ultimately leading to a loss of taxpayer confidence.

The Deputy Commissioner for Training and Development, Mr Augustine Ayisi, mentioned that the authority had increased its revenue collection target to GH¢220 billion, and the training programme for senior officers was part of the efforts to enhance staff capacity for more effective performance, enabling the GRA to meet its revenue goals.

Mr Ayisi consequently urged the participants to adopt a more serious approach and alter their work attitudes, stressing the importance of ensuring that their newly acquired skills translate into improved performance for revenue mobilisation necessary for development.

Moreover, he cautioned per­sonnel against underperformance, stating that a ‘’business as usual’’ mindset would not be accepted, and encouraged them to collabo­rate effectively as a team to help the institution achieve the national revenue target essential for devel­opment.

Mr Ayisi stressed that manage­ment would continue to invest in human capital to build a strong in­stitution and a world class revenue collection, and a reliable institu­tion to be recognised as a world class revenue collection institution that would be appreciated by all.