President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has appointed former Railway Minister Joe Ghartey as the new Board Chairman of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
The Essikado-Ketan lawmaker replaces Dr. Tony Oteng Gyasi, who assumed the position of Board Chair of the GRA in August 2021.
The President through Finance Minister Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, has tasked Mr Ghartey to ensure the reformation of GRA and streamline its activities.
The entire GRA board was dissolved following the resignation of the board chairman, Dr Gyasi.
Moreover, President Akufo-Addo, in response appointed Ms. Julie Essiam as the new Commissioner-General of the GRA to succeed Rev. Dr. Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah.
Finance Minister Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, inaugurating the board in Accra on Wednesday, May 22, charged the members to work hard to help improve Ghana’s revenue mobilisation drive.
“We must improve revenue mobilization to achieve our medium-term revenue target of 18%-20% tax/GDP ratio and we must meet all indicative targets and structural benchmarks related to revenue under the Fund programme”, the Finance Minister said.
He urged the members to leverage their experience to help reduce waste in the system and improve revenue collection.
“Given your extensive backgrounds and professional expertise, I am confident that each Board member will meet the expectations of government, and the general public”, he stated.
“I am available to meet at short notice and also want to see more regular updates on revenue performance to ensure we remain aligned and focused as we advance.”
“We must leave the inauguration with a dedicated resolve to change the narrative and eclipse a 20% threshold of revenue to GDP within the shortest possible time,” he reminded the 9-member board.
Dr. Amin Adam further assured the board of his continued support in the discharge of their mandate, emphasising that the board immediately deals with fundamental human resource issues, especially in the areas of promotions, and capacity development, adding that “sub-optimal physical working conditions will be critical.”
Who are the members of the reconstituted GRA Board?
Other members of the 9-member Joe Ghartey-led GRA Board include Dr. Alex Ampaabeng a tax and fiscal policy enthusiast who is the representative of the Finance Ministry; Second Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Elsie Addo Awadzi; and Commissioner General of the GRA, Julie Essiam.
The rest are the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Micheal Okyere Baafi, as the representative of the Trade Ministry; Immediate Past Municipal Chief Executive of Asante Akim; Madam Susan Akomea, as a representative of the President, Madam Araba Bosomtwe, another representative of the President.
Mr. Kwabena Abankwah Yeboah, a fellow of the Ghana College of Pharmacists, is also a member of the board.
