DANIDA hands over GH¢11.7m lecture complex to GRA Academy
The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) has handed over a 20-unit lecture complex to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Academy Training School at Kpetoe in the Volta Region.
The GH¢11.7 million project named “DANIDA Building Complex” constructed by Maripoma Enterprise Limited is for GRA to strengthen staff capacity to ensure maximum compliance with relevant laws for a sustainable revenue stream for the country.
Mr Peter Eilschow Olesen, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Denmark, said Denmark is pleased with its contribution to building GRA’s capacity in mobilizing revenue for Ghana’s rapid socioeconomic development.
He said the centre provides a unique opportunity to ensure an institutionalization of the capacity development efforts to the Tax and Development programme of GRA as the Authority intends to recruit 1000 additional staff in 2018 and 2019.
Mr Olesen said DANIDA would pursue a close dialogue with the Training Unit in GRA and the Management of the Academy to deliberate on how to utilise training materials to build and strengthen the skills of the staff.
Mr Emmanuel Kofi Nti, Commissioner General, GRA, expressed appreciation for the support provided by the Danish Embassy for the successful completion of the lecture complex which lasted 18 months.
He said the vision of the Authority is to make the training school a Revenue University for the sub-region in customs and domestic tax issues.
Mr Nti said the facility would cut down the cost of training staff of GRA outside the country and rake in revenue for the Authority through the training of foreigners.
Mr Junior Appiah-Warden, Commandant, GRA Academy, said they cannot wait for a Revenue University, which would be a Centre of excellence for tax policy formation, analysis and training.
The two-storey facility has 20 classrooms, four operating offices, a laboratory, museum, a 270 seater capacity auditorium, 72 washrooms, a lift shaft and a ramp for the physically challenged.
Source: GNA