Fire yesterday gutted the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) offices on the Ring Road Central in Accra, destroying office equipment and other valuable items.
The fire, believed to have started from the second floor of the two-storey building hosting the offices, destroyed several items including office document, computers, air-conditioners and photo copier machines.
The fire was brought under control after six-hours of fire fighting by a combined team of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) and the Ghana Air Force, using 10 fire tenders.
When the Ghanaian Times visited the scene, the fire fighters were busily dousing the fire, while the police personnel from the Greater Accra Command condoned off the place to maintain law and order.
Also spotted were personnel from the National Disaster Management Organisation and the Ghana Red Cross Society who were there to offer a helping hand.
The top leadership of the GRA including the acting Commissioner-General of the GRA, Mr Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah and the Board Chairman of the GRA, Professor Stephen Adei were also at the scene.
The tragedy brought a huge traffic to that stretch of the road, whlist a large crowd gathered there staring at the fire.
Some eye witnesses told the Ghanaian Times that they saw a thick black smoke in the building around 7:00 a.m. followed by the fire.
The Head of Public Relations of the GNFS, Divisional Officer Grade II, Ellis Okoe Robinson told the Ghanaian Times that they received a distress call of the fire out break at about 8:31a.m and proceeded to the scene at about 8:34a.m.
DOII Robinson said personnel of the GNFS had challenges with accessibility to the building and the water hydrant at the area had low pressure and had to search for other alternatives.
The head of GNFS’ PR stated that investigations into the fire were ongoing.
Meanwhile, acting Commissioner-General of the GRA, Mr Ammishadai Owusu- Amoah has rebuffed reports that millions of cedis were burnt in the inferno.
Interacting with journalists after visiting the scene, he said “no money lost. All the funds are secured. There is nothing that anyone should be concerned about at all. There is no burnt cash.”
He said there was back up of their files, assuring that valuable information would not be affected.
The acting GRA boss said the staff would be relocated to the Adabraka and Kinbu offices, urging clients of the affected branch to visit for business.
BY ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI AND JONATHAN DONKOR
