Finance Minister Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam has announced that the government has withdrawn Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) officials allegedly harassing businesses as part of efforts to improve the investment climate in Ghana.

This move follows concerns raised by members of the French business community regarding undue pressure from tax collectors.

Addressing the French Chamber of Commerce at the Annual Cocktail event and the launch of the France-Ghana Economic Report 2023-2024, held at the French Ambassador’s residence in Accra, Dr. Amin Adam reassured French businesses of the government’s commitment to addressing their concerns and fostering a more favorable business environment.

“I want to appeal to you to continue to stay in Ghana because we are addressing all the issues that you have raised with me,” he said, noting that actions had been taken to withdraw GRA officials accused of harassing businesses.

“Issues relating to taxes and harassment of businesses by tax collectors, you will notice, have been resolved. We’ve had to withdraw all the tax collectors who were allegedly harassing businesses from those centres of operation, and so you won’t see them anymore,” he added.

The GRA has faced repeated criticism for what some perceive as aggressive tax collection tactics. In March, New Patriotic Party Flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia expressed concern that GRA’s high targets for tax officers lead to harassment of businesses.

“They are harassing businesses. That harassment is coming from the sort of targets that are created at their office. They are setting unrealistic targets… so you come up with all sorts of stuff,” Dr. Bawumia said.

Echoing similar sentiments, Alhassan Andani, former Chief Executive Officer of Stanbic Bank, recently likened the GRA’s approach to “a terrorist organization,” claiming the authority’s tactics often put undue pressure on businesses.

“I know a number of organizations, when GRA gets into their space, it’s as if they deliberately do it to wriggle people’s arms to take money,” he remarked.

Businesses in Ghana are currently grappling with high inflation, cedi depreciation, and multiple tax obligations, which continue to strain their operations. The GRA, tasked with ensuring compliance with tax laws, is under pressure to secure a stable revenue flow for the government amid these economic challenges.