Fake TIN number ‘scandal’ hits GRA

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has vowed to identify and sanction officers allegedly engaged in generating fake TIN numbers to the public.

The Commissioner General, Mr. Emmanuel Kofi Nti, who expressed worry at the alleged development said his office will not spare such officers when they are caught.

Speaking at the lunch of a Quarterly Multi-Stakeholder Business Integrity Forum, organized by the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) in Accra on Thursday October 4, 2018, Mr. Nti indicated that one major concern of the GRA is to inculcate a culture of attitudinal change in the way the authority operates.

He said it was for such reasons that the authority has consistently emphasized on discipline among its staff in recent years.

“…I want to assure Ghanaians that the issues of my people being involved in infractions, will be dealt with drastically. Officers who are engaged in such dishonest and corrupt practices of generating fake TIN numbers will be treated as such,” the Commissioner General told the Goldstreet Business.

Allegations/concerns

A participant at the programme (name withheld) who disclosed the issue to Mr. Nti, noted that such happenings have badly affected the prospects of some of her colleagues from getting contracts. “I know eight women who wanted to get contract from the school feeding programme. They were directed to a GRA office only to be given fake TIN numbers and that cost them the contract,” she alleged.

She revealed that the certificates were prepared with some amount paid and balanced within the annual budget.

“It is shocking that GRA officers are involved in this. I want to bring it to your notice that your staff are actually doing that,” she added.

Background

With the beginning of an official enforcement of the TIN number registration in April this year, the GRA has always maintained that the TIN registration will experience no mishap regarding number authenticity, as the exercise, which comes at no cost, was to broaden the tax net to capture all potential taxpayers.

The GRA has continuously emphasized that all potential taxpayers without TIN numbers cannot do business with and acquire services from state institutions and agencies.

TIN number statistics

As of April this year, the authority has issued over one million TIN numbers to Ghanaians, with the Commissioner General confirming that the figure stood at 1,090,338 some five months ago.

Registration is expected to multiply by September 2018, as the GRA on daily basis generates and issue out new TIN numbers to the public.