For instance, the Domestic Tax Revenue Division (DTRD) of the GRA, through the software had made more than ten billion Ghana cedis in tax collection.

 The GRA said many companies now use TRIPS to automate the processes for assessing, filing and payment of various domestic tax forms such as Income Tax, PAYE, VAT, Withholding Tax, Gift Tax, etc.

 TRIPS which was developed by the Ghana Community Network Services Limited (GCNet) is a computer software for managing databases for controlling and administering revenue as well as tax payment processing.

 A statement copied to the Times in Accra said the DTRD has expressed confidence in the software saying it had optimised tax collection.

 The development, according to the statement, was revealed at the one-day briefing and training on the TRIPS organised by the GCNet and GRA for officials of the Tax and Customs Divisions in Accra.

 The GRA said it would continue to introduce mechanisms to encourage companies to enrol with the software so as to ensure viability of tax system in the country.

 As part of these efforts, the company has partnered the GCNet to introduce a competition and awards scheme geared to boost the full migration of all taxpayers onto Total Revenue Integrated Processing System (TRIPS) in order to create a uniform platform.

 The scheme seeks to award GH?25,000 every quarter to the winning implementing tax office.

 “This is expected to encourage offices to accelerate the migration process, amidst the realisation that the introduction of the software has marked a major milestone in the history of the Domestic Tax Revenue Division (DTRD) of GRA,” the statement said.

 Mr. Kwasi Gyimah, the Commissioner of the DTRD, lauded the GCNet for partnering with the Revenue Authority to introduce the awards scheme saying it would trigger competition among companies whilst encouraging hard work and good ethics.

 Mr. Alwin Hoegerle, General Manager of the GCNet, said the partnership with the (DTRD) of the GRA aligned with the core mandate of the organisation to improve revenue mobilisation through the deployment of efficient ICT enabled systems to significantly contribute to national development.

The organisation’s commitment is not only to build capacity and provide logistics support but also to ensure the speedy migration of the TRIPS in all tax offices across the nation to guarantee faster processing of tax returns and revenue mobilisation.