The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has secured the services of Mckinsey Group, an international consulting firm, to offer its expertise to help boost revenue generation.

Speaking at a media forum in Accra, Mr Emmanuel Kofi Nti, the Commissioner-General of the GRA, said the Group’s engagement was to help change GRA’s systems to be comparable to the best in revenue administration in the world through simplified processes and innovation.

The Group would also train and build the skills of staff and help develop a mind-set of constant improvement through sourcing for ideas to change and improve the Authority.

“The Group is here to help improve on professionalism and the change management process in GRA,” Mr Nti said.

Mr Nti said under the improvement process of the Ghana Revenue Enhancement and Transformation (GREAT) Project, the GRA had scheduled engagements with players in the various sectors of the economy, dubbed Industry Forums, to discuss new initiatives as applicable to them.

To enhance compliance, the Commissioner-General noted that the GRA would henceforth go after tax evaders with the full application of tax laws, especially after the expiration of the granted grace period through the tax amnesty.

“The days of impunity about a non-compliance with the tax laws are over. GRA is now going to bite. It is not going to be business as usual. We want the public to take note that we will be going after evaders,” he said.

As part of the new initiatives to achieve and uplift revenue mobilisation in the next two years, the Authority would name and shame as well as impose and apply sanctions, including prosecutions, garnishing and distress actions, Mr Nti stated.

On the Excise Tax Stamp, which started from January 1 2018, Mr Nti said full enforcement would commence in the coming weeks to ensure compliance.

He said the introduction of the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), Cargo Tracking Note (CTN), and creation of an additional personal income tax band and the restructuring of VAT as enacted into law following the mid-year budget review, would help in improving tax revenues.

The GRA from January 1 to August 31 this year collected GH¢22.6 billion out of a targeted GH¢24.46 billion, recording a negative deviation of GH¢1.80 billion.

As at August 2018, Customs has registered a negative deviation of GH¢1.7 billion, while the Domestic Tax Revenue Division had an overall fall of GH¢83.79million. “This negative picture must be reversed in the months ahead. We are aiming at a better performance than this,” Mt Nti said.

The Commissioner-General called on the media to support the GRA by providing reports and discussions on initiatives designed to improve operations and outcomes as well as offer feedback and information on tax defaulters to enable the GRA track them down.