Ghana’s Registrar-General exceeds its financial target for 2019

This means the Department exceeded its GHC100 million target by 36%.

The revenue generated by the Department was from penalties paid by businesses, fees for the renewal of business registration, new registration of businesses, sale of business forms, industrial property right and registration of marriages.

The Head of the Public Relations Unit of the department, Constance Adomaa Takyi, told Daily Graphic that the “impressive” performance was due to educational campaign and sensitisation during the year under review.

She explained that the education took the staff of the department across the country adding that they used the regional and district officers to speak to the public.

Ms Takyi said officers of the department explained the benefits of registering their businesses and filing their tax returns to stakeholders and market women.

"We included all these bodies to enlighten them on who qualified to be given a government contract because if a contract is given to someone who has not registered with the department or who does not file tax returns, the person cannot be paid,” she explained.

She indicated that in 2016, the RGD registered 60,000 businesses. In 2017 the figure went up to 86,916.

“From a figure of 86,669 in 2018, we were able to register 92,267 companies and businesses in 2019,” she added.

She said that the highest collections were recorded in April and November. She said April was the last month before the application of penalties, while November was immediately after the sensitisation.

In April 2019, the department was able to collect GH¢31.78 million, while in November it collected GH¢31.03 million.