ECG and Nine Other Public Institutions owe GRA over GHS1billion taxes- Commissioner General

Officials of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has revealed that, Ten state institutions including the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) owe the Authority a little of over GH¢1 billion in taxes.

The GRA disclosed this when they appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of parliament, sitting on Monday, July 29, 2024.

Even though some of these institutions are viable and have given signals of payment, the committee chaired by Dr James Klutse Avedzi, MP for Ketu North expressed concerns over the redundant ones like the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).

Mr Edward Apenteng Gyamerah, Commissioner in charge of Domestic Tax Revenue of GRA cited, for instance, the “GACL and Graphic Corporation currently are having cash flow challenges. They’ve indicated to us that we need to give them a moratorium to be able to come back to us. So, for them, they are prepared to pay. Once their cash flow improves.”

Hon Abena Osei-Asare, the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, explained that state entities are unlikely to pay their taxes needed to have parliamentary support to write off their debts.

“Mr Chairman, we have done this before. We brought it to parliament; we went through a process [and] brought some to parliament for parliament to write it off.

“If it becomes necessary after all avenues to collect these monies have failed, we will go through that process and then come to parliament for permission to do that.”

Meanwhile, government is to settle a judgment debt of GH¢95 million to IT consultancy firm, West Blue Consulting, following the termination of its contract.

The IT consulting rendered technical and support services from 2015 to 2020, to the Ghana Revenue Authority was facilitated by the Ministry of Finance.

The termination of the contract led West Blue to take legal action against the government, seeking payment for an outstanding debt amounting to GH¢289.

The award of the judgment in favour of West Blue was confirmed by the Commissioner General of GRA, Julie Essiam, at the public account’s committee.

She said, “Indeed, the judgment debt is GH¢95 million. We will not to be able to pay all GH¢95 million, and therefore the agreement with the court is to pay these in three installments.”