Tax Justice Coalition Ghana Calls for the Removal of the New Ghana Revenue Authority Board Chairperson
The Tax Justice Coalition Ghana calls on Government to withdraw the appointment of the new Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Revenue Authority whose appointment was communicated to him a week ago.
The Coalition views the appointment as insensitive to the public outcry about the alleged acts of corruption and conflict of interest issues while the said Mr. Owusu was the Director General of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) and, in fact a slap on the faces of Ghanaian tax payers. While serving as the Director General of the GMA, Mr. Kwame Owusu was alleged to have inappropriately applied financial resources of the GMA, including spending a whopping GHC135,125 for an end of year dinner and GHC10,652 on another occasion on food for 17 people. He was also reported to have spent GHc1 million to renovate a 2-bedroom house into a 4-bedroom apartment and fixed 11 air-conditioners in the house.
However, there has not been any credible investigation into the alleged scandals so far and an exoneration of Mr. Owusu in spite of the public uproar. Yet, Mr. Owusu has been appointed to another public position which requires much trust and integrity due to its mandate of mobilising revenues for the country’s development agenda.
The Coalition sees this appointment as not only inconsistent with the government’s declared stance against corruption but also not showing any effort on the part of government to build public confidence in the GRA, in particular, and the country’s public financial management system, in general.
The Coalition is also surprised that, in spite of the requirement of advice of the Council of State, this appointment has been made. The Coalition wonders whether the Council of State was not aware of the allegations or did not find them serious enough to advise against the appointment or whether the Council advised against it, but the President ignored the advice.
In the view of the Coalition, until Mr. Owusu’s issues at the Ghana Maritime Authority are fully investigated and he is exonerated, he cannot be given that appointment. Ghanaians, in general, and the taxpayers, in particular, cannot trust its revenue collecting institution to a person that has unresolved questions of integrity hanging around his neck.
Based on the above concerns and the unresolved allegations of financial scandals surrounding the new Board Chairperson, the Coalition joins many concerned citizens and CSOs in calling on His Excellency, President Nana Akufo Addo to rescind his decision on this appointment. We believe that this action will contribute to improving public trust in the GRA and boost the domestic revenue generation efforts of Government.
LEONARD SHANG-QUARTEY
(NATIONAL COORDINATOR)
For further information and clarification, please, contact the following members of the Coalition:
Leonard Shang-Quartey – 0242303423
Bernard Anaba – 0244584565
Southern Zone (Accra, Central, Western, Western North and Volta)
Benedict Doh – 0249889339
Emmanuel Papa Assan – 0242584565
Middle Zone (Eastern, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo and Bono, Ahafo and Oti)
Louis Acheampong – 0244605156
Christopher Dapaah – 0244547417
Raphael Ahenu – 0208028666
Northern Zone (Northern, Upper East and Upper West, Savannah and North East)
Awal Ahmed Kariama- 0266195156
Awal Sumani Mohammed – 0244723357
Kanton Salifu Issifu – 0208446939
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