THE Commission­er-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Anthony Kwasi Sar­pong, says the time has come for the country to declare war against smuggling, counterfeit­ing, and revenue leakages, describ­ing it as a threat that undermines national development.He has, therefore, called on the private sector to collaborate with the authority to deal with the na­tional canker and nip it in the bud.According to him, the time had come for a strategic cooperation between both the public and private sectors in dealing with these chal­lenges, which had become a bane of the country's development."We are in a war against smug­gling, a threat that undermines national development.

The private sector cannot be left to fight this battle alone.

At GRA, we are deploying a combination of intel­ligence gathering, satellite surveil­lance, and robust human resource strategies to curb these illegal activities.

This collaborative effort is essential to safeguarding the integri­ty of our economy," he said.Mr Sarpong made the appeal when he led a high-level delegation to the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana in Tema last Friday.The visit formed part of a renewed drive to strengthen tax compliance and foster strategic partnerships with the private sector in the country.It was also the GRA's stakehold­er engagement strategy to deepen mutual understanding with key industry players and promote a collaborative approach to tax administration.The Commissioner-General emphasised the importance of strategic cooperation in addressing national challenges such as smug­gling, counterfeiting, and revenue leakages.Mr Sarpong used the occasion to announce the upcoming launch of "Sustained Tax Education," a national initiative aimed at pro­moting voluntary tax compliance through public education and awareness campaigns.The initiative, he explained, would focus on deepening citizens' understanding of tax pol­icies, obligations, and the benefits of compliance.On his part, the Managing Director of Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana, Mr Felix Gomis, welcomed the GRA's visit and reiterated the company's com­mitment to full compliance with Ghana's tax laws."We appreciate this engage­ment with the GRA and value the opportunity to strengthen our partnership.