Dr Olympio Attipoe [middle'] announcing January collection during a press conference. Date: 19.02.2019

The National Revenue Authority says it collected a total sum of 1.2 billion pounds in January alone. 

“All these resources am talking about have been transferred to Central Bank for the ministry of finance to use,” the NRA commissioner general, Olympio Attipoe announced this during a press conference on Tuesday.

Established last year, the NRA is mandated to assess, collect, administrate and enforce laws relating to taxation and revenues.

The establishment is one of the measures to reduce dependency on oil revenues, strengthen non-oil revenue sector and strengthen expenditure control required to achieve short-term fiscal austerity objectives.

However, the single treasury account for non-oil revenues became operational in December last year.

The institution attributed the delay to resistance from individuals who wanted to keep diverting the revenues into their pockets.

Dr Attipoe said some those defiant individuals still interfering in the system.

“This is not to say that a lot of money didn’t go outside this account. We are also making sure that we identify these routes and block them.”