The Ghana Integrity Initiative, (GII) has asked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to revoke the appointment of the new Board Chairman of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Kwame Owusu.
According to GII in a statement, his appointment needs to be revoked following the intense public outcry in the pending investigations into allegations of abuse of office and conflict of interest involving Mr. Owusu.
The appointment of the former Managing Director of the Ghana Maritime Authority, Mr. Owusu as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Revenue Authority has evoked disappointment among the public particularly because of the events preceding his exit from his previous job.
The raging debates is focused on the integrity of Mr. Owusu and its implication to the public perception of the new institution he has been appointed to.
According to GII: “It is out of place to appoint an individual whose integrity has been questioned to the Board of such a sensitive entity as GRA.”
It said “however, if the President wants to stand by his decision, then GII calls on the him to publish the report of investigations that contradict the allegation of conflict of interest and financial misappropriation made against his appointee.”
The statement further said: “Failure by the President to revoke Mr. Kwame Owusu’s appointment or publish the report that clears him will only contribute to negating all the efforts of GRA to promote voluntary compliance of the country’s tax laws and hence leaving the country to mark time at Tax to GDP ratio of 12.6 percent, (Ministry of Finance 2018 fiscal data Jan – Dec).”
