Fourteen employees of the Lands Commission have been placed on interdiction due to their involvement in Stamp Duty fraud. The fraudulent activity was uncovered in May 2022 when the Commission’s Audit Unit noticed discrepancies in the tax amounts paid by property owners during the property registration process.
The alleged Stamp Duty fraud is believed to have led to a tax loss of 100 million Ghana Cedis. The National Investigations Bureau is currently handling the legal proceedings against the implicated staff.
Mr. Benjamin Arthur, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Commission, made this announcement during the Executive Secretary’s Annual Briefing and the launch of the Staff Awards Scheme in Accra on Friday.
Subsequent investigations by the Commission revealed that the initially reported amount of tax loss was exaggerated. The Commission has taken internal disciplinary measures against the accused individuals and is in the final stages of determining their status within the organization, according to Mr. Arthur.
In addition to the Stamp Duty fraud, disciplinary actions are being taken against other Commission staff involved in fraudulent practices such as the deletion and insertion of records to produce false search reports.
Mr. Arthur emphasized that while job security is important, acts of indiscipline and fraud will not be tolerated.
The Commission has initiated a five-year Business Strategic Plan (2023-2027) aimed at guiding its operations. The plan focuses on goals such as enhancing financial sustainability, implementing digital reforms, and improving the corporate image, competence, and discipline of staff to enhance service delivery.
To improve public perception, the Commission plans to launch an outreach campaign to create awareness of its mandate, service delivery processes, applicable fees, and digital reform platforms.
The campaign aims to build public trust and confidence in the Commission’s operations, countering negative perceptions that have been perpetuated in the media.
Despite acknowledging negative perceptions, Mr. Arthur stressed that the Commission’s efforts should not be overshadowed by the actions of a few.
He called for teamwork among staff and management to achieve positive outcomes. Mr. Benito Owusu-Bio, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, expressed confidence in the Commission’s leadership and outlined plans for the Ministry, including digital transformation and the completion of a new Lands Commission head office.
