(From left) Eric Mensah, Naa Lamie Orleans-Lindsay and Laud Ofori-Afrifa at the event
Laud Ofori-Afrifa, Deputy Controller General of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), says his outfit will soon begin the issuance of long-term work permits to investors to complete their projects and programmes in Ghana.
Speaking at stakeholders’ meeting recently in Accra to educate investors on immigration, technology transfer agreement and double taxation agreement in Ghana, he said the mandate of GIS is not only to regulate immigrants in Ghana but foster investments.
He said GIS would by June, this year give travellers the opportunity to apply for visas online in addition to the visas on arrival.
Naa Lamie Orleans-Lindsay, Head of Legal Division GIPC, took the participants through the technology transfer agreement of the country.
Explaining that such type of agreement is between parent companies and their local branches, she urged parent companies to ensure that they promptly and appropriately pay all taxes for their local companies.
She further stated that the GIPC has records of all agreements signed between companies since its inception in 1992.
Mrs. Orleans-Lindsay said government has the power to monitor agreements between companies.
Eric Mensah, Assistant Commissioner, Legal Affairs and Treaties, Ghana Revenue Authority, who educated stakeholders on double taxation agreement, revealed that the tax treaty also helps to generate foreign exchange, adding that since taxes paid by parent companies would be in foreign currency, it would rake in more foreign exchange for the country which can be channelled into more developmental projects.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri & Elizabeth Boateng