Beginning from September 2011, the Registrar-General’s Department (RGD) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) would start using a new electronic business registration and tax administration system dubbed GeGov. A statement from the two organisations said GeGov was a Public Private Partnership between GCNet and Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Communications, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Registrar-General’s Department (RGD) and the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), with support from the World Bank. The statement mentioned three main components of the system; Total Revenue Integrated Processing System (trips) for Tax Identification Number (TIN) and Domestic Tax processing, GeReg for business registration, civil marriages and administration of estates, and Shared Services accessible online, enhancing reporting, communications and payments. It said GeGov formed part of an eGovernment system that GCNet had been mandated to design, finance, build, operate and transfer to the respective government institutions. “The aim of the project is to modernize key MDAs computerise business registration, enhance revenue mobilization and provide a citizen-friendly service,” the statement said. The statement said the project was expected to improve the ease of doing business including: online business registration, online filling of Tax Returns and payments, integration of VAT and IRS processes and other Online Shared Services. “The system will support also the development of Ghana through enhancing transparency and improving accountability due to integration with the new GIFMIS Financial Management Application at the Controller & Accountant General’s Department and the effective mobilisation of revenue,” it said. It said GRA and RGD would be provided with computer literacy and trips, GeReg application training, and purpose-built IT training facilities to ensure staff are fully equipped with the necessary skills. In addition a substantial infrastructure component had been incorporated including: a state of the art Data Centre and Disaster Recovery Site as well as equipment for offices across the country including PCs, Laptops, Printers, Scanners, Generators, UPS and Network devices. The statement said GeGov would be launched at selected GRA/RGD pilot sites and then rolled out implemented in three phases in 122 offices countrywide in four years. “Phase one will be launched in September 2011 for trips Taxpayer Registration at GRA, GeReg (Registrar-General’s Department) and Shared Services; phase two will be launched in December 2011 for trips Core Tax Application, and phase three will be in March 2012 for additional trips functionality,” the statement said. It said the selected sites were RGD Head Office Accra, GRA Makola, GRA Agbogloshie, GRA Legon, GRA VAT House (Adabraka), GRA Spintex Road, GRA Head Office Ministries (former IRS and VAT Head Offices), GRA Kaneshie (former SGSVAT), GRA Ashaiman, GRA Tema (former VAT Tema) and GRA Achimota . The statement said the issuance of new Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) which will be used as a common identifier for all Taxpayers as well as facilitating the way in which RGD and GRA share information would be a major component of the project. Source: Adom News/Ghana