Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, Minister for Finance has highlighted the need for the country’s revenue collection institutions to support government rake in the needed revenue to guarantee the development needs of Ghanaians.
According to the Minister, without the needed revenue, it would be difficult for government to finance the budget and the only option would be going out for loans.
He made this known when he paid a working visit to staff of the Ghana Revenue Authority at Aflao. The Minister commended the gallant staff for their great contributions in mobilising the needed revenue to fund various critical government programmes.
‘I came here to encourage you to double your efforts and not to talk down on the significant progress that you have achieved in recent years’ he said.
The Minister, who called himself the ‘the cheerleader’ of the GRA assured them of his commitment to ‘walk with them at every step of the journey’ indicating that ‘we rise together and fall together’ should be the guiding spirit.
He hinted of plans to provide the necessary reforms which included promotion to deserving staff, renovation of staff bungalows, and other logistics that would motivate them to work harder.
“I have just few months to end my tenure as Finance Minister, but help me, lets work together for this one-year stewardship as a Finance Minister to be a memorable for me and all of us so we can say that during the time Amin Adam was Finance Minister, he worked with GRA Officials and revenue collection was the best and this is the legacy we must leave”, he stated.
The MP for Karaga also underscored the need for them to restore their reputation that had dwindled as a result of negative perception the public had about them because of ‘few miscreants’ who drag their image to the mud.
He sounded a note of caution of his preparedness to apply the appropriate sanctions to officers whose actions and inactions continue to tarnish their image thereby affecting revenue mobilization.
The Commissioner General of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Ms Julie Essiam in her address commended the Minister for his deep commitment about the welfare of the staff of the GRA.
She reiterated the Minister’s call for increase in revenue collection, especially, in this election year and challenged the staff to ensure they overturn the trend where revenue collection did not meet target at every election year.
“Guys it is possible and doable, this year, you and your commissioner are going to prove doubters wrong. We as your top management have sat down and deliberated among some pillars which include revenue growth, the IMF structural benchmarks, the Medium-Term Revenue Strategy and you are key in all these strategies so help us” she emphasised.
