GRA workers unions to shut down all revenue collection offices

Betty

January 6, 2016 12:10 PM

A letter from the Ghana Revenue Authority Public Service Workers Union(GRA PSWU ) and The Ghana Revenue Authority Workers Union (GRAWU) to the Finance Minister Seth Terkper sighted by Pulse.com.gh indicated that the directives from the minister are "unacceptable and unprogressive to revenue maximization".

Pulse.com.gh has gathered that workers of the Ghana Revenue Authority are threatening to shut down all revenue collection avenues across the country if the Finance Minister fails to reverse a move which will see the GRA as a subvented organization instead of the retention .

The Finance Ministry under the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information Systems GIFMIS is trying to stop the about 3 percent of the total monthly revenues of the GRA credited to GRA's account for the day to day running of the Authority.

A letter from the Finance ministry to the GRA noted that there should be " discontinuation of monthly releases for compensation to subvented agencies." This directive, according to the workers mean the Minister for Finance is treating the GRA as a subvented organisation which is against the law.

In the minister's letter he also directed that GRA takes its payroll to the controller and accountant generals office for payment. But the workers argue they want nothing to do with controller and wants a reversal of these directive by close of 6th January 2016.

"The path this directive is taking us is not new to us," the letter stated." we have been there before and it neither grew revenue nor motivated Staff. Indeed our slogan as GRA staff has been Collect more and Get more."

A 72 hour ultimatum given to the minister to reverse these directives expires today. And Pulse.com.gh has gathered that the union workers are planning to take very drastic measures to see to it that this is no implemented including embarking on a strike.

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