Starting April 1, 2021, approximately 15.5 million Ghanaians will have Tax Identification Numbers (TIN).
This, is according to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Addressing the 8th Parliament in his first State of the Nation Address in his second term, the president indicated that close to 15.5 million people have so far been enrolled onto the National ID card system (the Ghanacard).
According to the president, the National ID card system which is expected to be completed this year, will also become the Tax Identification Numbers of Ghanaians adding the move is to help formalize the Ghanaian economy.
“In so doing, the number of people registered by GRA for tax purposes will increase from the current 3 million to 15.5 million.”
“I should recall that at the end of 2016, only 750,000 people had TIN numbers. The increase to 15.5 million in just four years is simply phenomenal,” the president asserted.
Additionally, the president stated that from the 2nd quarter of this year, all National ID numbers will also become SSNIT numbers. This he said will increase the number of people on the SSNIT database from 4 million to 15.5 million, making it easier for new contributors to be enlisted on the scheme.
The National ID numbers will also become NHIS numbers, the president further noted.
“Very soon, we will link the National ID to all SIM cards, bank accounts, Births and Deaths Registry, DVLA documents, and passports.”
“For the first time, through the implementation of the Digital Property Addressing System, every location in Ghana has a digital address. The process of affixing unique property address plates for some 7.5 million properties in all sixteen regions has also started.”
More than seventy percent of the population according to the president has access to financial services either through a bank account or a mobile money account.
“We have been able to do so through the implementation of mobile money interoperability (between bank accounts and mobile wallets), with Ghana as the first and only country in Africa to have done so. It is, therefore, not surprising that Ghana is the fastest growing mobile money market in Africa,” he noted.
