The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and National Lottery Authority (NLA), pursuant to Section 5 of the Revenue Administration Act, 2016 (Act 915), have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at improving government revenue mobilisation.
The collaboration will be beneficial to both parties and help shore-up revenue that is generated into the Consolidated Fund for national development.
The collaboration will increase the visibility, availability and accessibility of GRA and NLA services across the country, mainly through the platform of NLA’s private sector-led solar-powered e-kiosks.
A statement signed by the Public Affairs Department of the NLA and copied to the media in Accra said the two institutions will organise training programmes aimed at developing and empowering recruits of the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO), and ensure the deployment and monitoring of NABCO beneficiaries to undertake TIN Registration exercises in order to broaden the tax base.
The collaboration will ensure implementation of the voluntary tax compliance programme, especially in the informal sector of the economy; and collectively use the NLA e-kiosks and lotteries to enhance Value Added Tax (VAT) penetration across the country.
The solar-powered e-Kiosks will be used for the registration of new taxpayers, receive completed tax returns and ensure verification of tax clearance certificates; and will help the GRA and NLA to promote and strengthen the provision of digital services and overall digitalisation of the Ghanaian economy.
According to the statement, the collaboration between the two institutions will help to maximise revenue mobilisation and create unprecedented jobs in Ghana, especially for the youth.
Both the GRA and NLA are mandated by Acts of Parliament to mobilise revenue for government toward national development, and the MoU is expected to propel the country into being a cash-lite society.
The statement said the MoU between the two institutions will help to create an enabling environment for the realisation of President Akufo-Addo’s Ghana Beyond Aid agenda.
The NLA was established under Act 722 as the sole body responsible for the regulation, supervision, conduct and management of lotto and lotteries in Ghana, while the GRA was established under Act 791 as a semi-autonomous body responsible for collecting, assessing and accounting for tax revenues.
BFT