Prof. Felix Asante, Director of ISSER has observed that though the Paperless Policy of government at the Ports has made some gains there is the need to work hard to tackle challenges confronting the system to pave way for increased revenue generation.
He stressed the need for tax agencies to have computerized systems in an attempt to reduce non-compliance to zero.
Prof. Asante was speaking on Joy FM, on Thursday, 6th February 2019 at the launch of the maiden edition of ‘Profit and Progress’ discussion programme. The programme airs bi-monthly on Joy News, Joy FM, Adom TV, and Adom FM.
Other panel members on the programme were Nana Osei Bonsu, Chief Executive Officer of Private Enterprise Foundation(PEF), Prof Osei Asibey of the Institute of Economic Affairs(IEA) and Mr. Nhira Addo of Multimedia Group.
In his contribution, Nana Osei Bonsu emphasized the need for reforms in institutions that ensure businesses operate in the country and those that collect taxes. These reforms when carried out, he stated, would propel businesses to thrive and the state will gain from the accrued revenue while the private sector operates with some amount of ease.
Prof Osei Asibey noted that Foreign Direct Investment, FDI has become very competitive and countries that have scaled down cost of doing business and have good regulatory environment would attract much of the inflow.
On the activities of the Registrar-General’s Department, he wondered why the institution cannot generate business certificates within a short time for the private sector to begin work on what they set out to do.
The programme is under the Business Environment Enablement Project,(BEEP) whose partners are the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, ISSER, Private Enterprise Foundation, (PEF), Institute of Economic Affairs, (IEA), and Multimedia Group. It is funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development.
BEEP seeks to engage, with supporting evidence-based research, on ways of bringing down cost of doing business and advocating for reforms in institutions such as the Ghana Revenue Authority, Registrar-General’s Department and the Commercial Court.
Topics slated for discussions in the coming weeks are: Commercial Courts: Assessment of small claims procedures and pre-trial conference, Customs: Assessment of the new paperless systems of clearing imports at the Ghana Ports in Tema and Takoradi, Tax: Assessment of effectiveness of the Total Revenue Integrated Processing System (TRIPS) in tax administration in Ghana and Business Registration: Assessment of business registration process for business start-ups.
