PAC calls for greater transparency in tax collection

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has urged the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to boost efforts in collecting outstanding taxes from public entities and businesses, as cited in the Auditor-General's reports. The committee requested the GRA to identify these amounts and enforce payments from organizations, including Ghana Airports Company Limited, Ghana Water Company, and the Electricity Company of Ghana.

Chairperson Abena Osei Asare praised the GRA and the Auditor-General, urging them to enhance transparency in tax collection, emphasizing that taxpayers should only pay what the law demands. Officials from the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) attended the hearing, while representatives from the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition and their agencies are set to testify at a future meeting.

The committee also met with officials from the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) on October 15. NPA CEO Mr. Godwin Kudzo Tameklo reported successful progress in addressing licensing irregularities, with 93% of affected vehicles obtaining the necessary licenses as of May 2026. He warned against fuel siphoning from tankers involved in road accidents, which is illegal and punishable under the law.

The GRA commended the Electricity Company of Ghana for repaying GH¢1.3 billion of the GH¢1.4 billion in outstanding taxes owed, following irregularities identified in the 2025 Auditor-General's Report. NPA CEO Mr. Tameklo reaffirmed the commission's commitment to regulatory compliance, stating that violators of the law would face administrative penalties.

Ghana National Gas Company CEO Madam Judith Adjobah Blay addressed concerns over the company's unoccupied office properties in Kumasi and Takoradi. She outlined measures to promote pipeline safety and prevent illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) encroachments. Additionally, she assured the committee that the company would finish its corporate social responsibility (CSR) senior high school infrastructure projects by year-end.

The committee urged the company's management to either utilize the vacant properties productively or dispose of them if no longer required for operational purposes.