Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Sam George, says the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is the “biggest single purveyor of corruption in the public service.”
According to him, the GRA is supposed to be a watchdog ensuring that nobody evades taxes but in the Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) deal, the GRA failed to retrieve taxes.
This comment comes after the full KPMG report released by President Akufo-Addo on Wednesday, May 22, revealed that Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) is indebted to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to the tune of GH¢ 31.88 million for unpaid taxes spanning eight months of service provision.
This outstanding amount also includes accrued interest, estimated at GH¢ 18.50 million as of January 31, 2024.
The MP stated that, several institutions appeared before the public accounts committee due to the Auditor General’s findings of untaxed transactions.
“Infact sometimes we impose penalties on them to pay with interest. The withholding tax is not supposed to be withheld by SML, its by GRA in making the payment. So when GRA was making payment to SML, they ought to know, that they ought to have withheld taxes.”
“It appears as though the GRA itself is under duress in this deal. Officers of the GRA, because of the overwhelming influence of the patriarchs of SML and the relationship with the GRA, people are under so much duress that they are failing to even carry out the basic things. You have created loot, and you are sharing.
“So, when the police man is involved in armed robbery, who arrests him?”