Ghana Revenue Authority advocates collaborative approach towards tax enhancement reforms
Edward Appiah, Assistant Commissioner of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) speaking on behalf of Reverend Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) at the 2024 National Tax Forum on Monday, March 27, 2024, underscored the critical role of enhancing taxation in Ghana to bolster the nation’s fiscal health and foster economic development.
The Forum organized by Revenue Mobilisation Africa (RMA) and the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) was on the theme, “Enhancing Taxation in Ghana, Joint Participation” and sought to promote stakeholder consultations on the enhancement of Ghana’s revenue mobilization efforts.
Assistant Commissioner Edward Appiah highlighted persistent challenges hindering revenue mobilisation efforts in Ghana. These challenges, including informal economic activities and a lack of tax education among citizens, he noted continue to pose obstacles to the GRA’s tax mobilisation mandate.
He stressed the necessity of a collective approach among stakeholders to enhance tax mobilisation and improve the efficiency of the tax system. Emphasizing the role of technology, he outlined the GRA’s intention to leverage information technology tools to streamline tax processes and increase compliance.
Moreover, Mr Appiah advocated for a strategy linking taxes to social services, asserting that such an approach would foster trust in the tax system while directly contributing to the provision of essential public services. He further highlighted the importance of government investment in measures to promote tax compliance and deter tax evasion.
Notably, civil society organisations (CSOs) were recognized as key advocates for reforms that promote equity and social development within the tax framework. Additionally, Mr Appiah proposed collaboration between the private sector and the government through initiatives such as Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to drive innovative tax reforms.
Highlighting the resilience of Ghana’s tax system, Mr Appiah noted positive growth trends in tax revenue and tax-to-GDP ratios. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the GRA has consistently exceeded its annual tax revenue targets since 2017 (with the exception of 2020), reflecting the robustness of Ghana’s taxation regime.
