Businesses lament extortion from tax officers
Business operators say officials of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) compel them to part with hefty sums of money before signing off their tax documents.
The development, the investors say has become one too many.
The EBO represents European business interests in markets outside the European Union (EU).
According to the Managing Director of the EBO Ghana, Nico van Staaldenuin, in 90 per cent of cases where the GRA has to sign off the tax documents they demand bribes.
“One GRA Officer demanded GH¢80,000 from a businessman before signing off his annual report for export out of Ghana,”
The victims are scared to report for fear of being victimized or frustrated.
Law enforcement officers discourage investments
Business advisory and trade facilitation expert with USAID, Ms Jane Reindorf-Attoh maintains that law enforcement officers, by their actions hardly create the impression that Ghana is the best place to do business.
According to Ms Reindorf-Attoh, in 2011, while on a business development tour in Ghana with a large US-based multi-national company that was ready to invest about $300million into Ghana’s ports, the team had a first-hand experience of extortion from police officers as they (investors) traveled around the country.
“Excited about attracting investments into Ghana, I was busy co-coordinating meetings and heading to Takoradi to see the port and one of the first things that my executives asked was ‘why are we being stopped continuously along the way by the law enforcement officers and being asked for money?’ and I was very embarrassed.
Slow justice stifling businesses
The slow, tortuous and cumbersome nature of the country’s justice delivery system remains a major concern for many businesses.
Businesses incur huge costs when they facilitate the transportation (by road and air) of their legal teams to courts outside Accra to have their cases heard.
There is increased cost and frustration on the part of the businessman or woman when the courts for one reason or another fail to sit.
“Last week, I had a team of lawyers travel some by road others by air to Kumasi with the clients only to arrive to be told that the court is not sitting; just this week I had another team of lawyers travel to CapeCoast.
By Isaac AIDOO
(Selorm) | 
(Nana Kwesi)