Anthony Kwesi Sarpong (GRA) and Wisdom Kweku Deku (NIA)
Revenue generation for the state kitty is an occupation which should not suffer any hitch because of the important role it plays in the economy.
A worrying development has hit the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), a critical revenue collection agency of the state following the blocking of the agency’s Identity Verification Service (IVS) platform by the National Identification Authority (NIA).
The situation has been occasioned by a debt of GH¢376m hanging around the neck of the GRA.
At the time of composing this commentary, scores of importers and exporters were stranded; unable to proceed with clearance and export procedures.
Those who manage state agencies should ensure that things move smoothly as such occurrences are unacceptable.
Demand notices from the NIA to the GRA having gone unanswered, we do not think the former acted in bad faith by blocking access to the platform.
A simple response from the GRA and payment of something no matter how minimal to show commitment to pay in future could have done the magic.
It can only be conjectured at this stage the revenue the state is losing as a result of this development.
Both agencies need their budgetary allocations to discharge their mandates. The recent strike action by employees of the NIA refers. It was about funds to pay allowances and the like. When sister agencies withhold payments because they feel they both belong to the same government, it creates fiscal challenges for smooth operations.
This is a crisis in the making and it calls for action to address the immediate challenge and to obviate a future recurrence.
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) would have acted in the same fashion if they were given the go-ahead to act to recover their monies in the pockets of many state institutions.
The Vice Chairman of the Committee on Public Administration and State Interests of Parliament, Sammi Awuku, in his observation about the development, notes that although the subject has hardly made headlines, its implications on the state kitty is serious.
Another source of the woes of the agency which manages our database is the National Health Insurance Authority, which owes over US$50 million, noted the Honourable Member of Parliament.
This cannot be acceptable, especially since it is beginning to look like managements of such agencies are taking things for granted.
The country could face a shutdown should the NIA apply the action on the GRA to other state institutions.
The NIA, under the circumstances, is constrained to undertake vital upgrades among other activities to keep the Identity Verification Service platform up to world-class standards.
State institutions should be more responsible in meeting their financial obligations to other sister agencies.
A compromised database as a result of absence of appropriate and periodic upgrade can be very harmful to the overall governance of the country. Cybersecurity being a crucial segment in a modern IT age requires constant upgrade, funds for which must be made available when these are needed.