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The Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has assured that revenue generation will remain one of his priorities as the Minister of Finance.
“Revenue and not debt will be my focus as we work to develop the economy,” he stated on his first day at work in Accra yesterday during a visit to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
GRA is the first organisation to be visited by the Minister when he was sworn in as the Minister of Finance by the President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday.
Forson (middle) in a chat with Mr Kwasi Agyei (left). With them is Mr Fiifi Kwetey
Before, the GRA visit, the Minister of Finance met and interacted with the management and staff of the Ministry of Finance.
He was joined by the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Fiifi Kwetey and other senior management staff of the Ministry of Finance.
Dr Forson urged GRA to work hard to achieve the revenue target for the country.
To this end, he said the Authority should develop measures to achieve the revenue target for the year.
He said high revenue would be crucial in meeting the mandate given the new government, and urged the Authority to raise more than GHC¢200 billion this year.
The Finance Minister entreated GRA to develop their revenue proposals to help in the preparation of the 2025 budget.
At the Comptroller and Accountant General’s Department, he urged the Department to ensure transparency and quality in government expenditure.
He said the Department must not focus only on big ticket expenditure but the smaller ones too, and queried “Why should WAEC complain before exams grants are paid.”
Mr Kwetey for his part urged the GRA to work hard to bring in more revenue to the state.
He said considering the challenges the economy was going through, there was the need for more revenue to meet government expenditure.
“We need to improve revenue to bring the economy back to the path of growth,” he stated.
The Acting Commissioner General of GRA, Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, in his remarks pledged that the GRA would work to generate more revenue for the country.
Growing revenue, he said, would be his focus as GRA Boss and to meet the mandate given by President John Dramani Mahama.
Mr Sarpong urged the staff and management of GRA to work to achieve the revenue objectives of the government.
He congratulated Dr Forson on his appointment as the Minister of Finance.
The Comptroller and Accountant General, Mr Kwasi Agyei, for his part said his outfit would work hard to improve quality of government expenditure.
That, he said, would build public confidence in the expenditure of good public financial management system.
He congratulated the Minister on his appointment as the Minister of Finance.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
