Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, has urged the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to intensify public education on the need to honour tax obligations, describing it as key to the infrastructural development of the country.
According to the Asantehene, the government needs money to develop the country and the only avenue to generate it is for citizens to honour their tax obligations. Otumfuo made the call when the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority at the head of the Board of Directors and management paid a courtesy call on him at the Manhyia Palace.
He noted that many citizens do not pay taxes because nobody is willing to pay, yet everybody wants development. He said it is the duty of the GRA to intensify education to ensure that those being side-lined also contribute.
He suggested extending the Authority’s engagement to artisans, masons, hairdressers, barbers and carpenters to help them appreciate the fact that they must pay taxes through their associations to support the national development agenda.
The Asantehene commended the Board, Management and Staff of the GRA for the good work they have been doing, which has helped increase tax revenue since the inception of the current government.
He urged them to block existing loopholes in their operations, devoid of corruption and the attitude of enriching themselves at the detriment of the country, in spite of their salaries.
Mr. Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority, announced significant gains from the country’s ongoing customs reforms revealing that the implementation of new systems has increased monthly revenue collections by between GH¢1.3 billion and GH¢1.5 billion since April 2026.
Speaking to journalists later, the Commissioner-General said the reforms were delivering encouraging results and expressed optimism about the future of the country’s revenue mobilisation efforts. He said the process is going well following the full implementation, which started in April 2026 and that between April and June GRA collected about GH¢1.3 billion to GH¢1.5 billion a month in addition to what they used to collect.
According to him, before the reforms, the GRA collected an average of GH¢4 billion in customs revenue every month, but collections rose to GH¢5.5 billion, while July recorded GH¢6.1 billion.
He noted that their customs reforms are working and thanked the business community, importers and their GRA colleagues for supporting them and ensuring that the reforms are successful.
The Commissioner-General disclosed that the Authority’s next major focus is strengthening Value Added Tax (VAT) administration to improve domestic revenue mobilisation.
He disclosed that out of every 10 businesses, only four pay VAT saying among the remaining six, some are not charging VAT at all, while others charge it but fail to remit the money to the government.
He announced that Parliament had approved a new initiative that will make it mandatory for government-approved electronic devices to be installed in businesses that sell goods and provide services.
Describing the initiative as a “game changer” for VAT administration, he said the GRA would embark on extensive stakeholder engagement and public education to ensure its successful implementation.
He expressed the view that if the project succeeds, it will generate the additional revenue needed to support national development and called on the media to support their education and engagement campaign so that every Ghanaian understands the importance of paying VAT and demanding a VAT receipt.
The Commissioner-General also announced plans to introduce a taxpayer and consumer reward scheme aimed at encouraging customers to demand VAT receipts after every purchase. He revealed that those who collect their VAT receipts will receive special rewards from the GRA or government.
The Chairman of the GRA Board, Mr. Kweku Ricketts Hagan, expressed gratitude to the Asantehene for his continued support to the Authority.
He explained that following the appointment of the new Board under President John Dramani Mahama and subsequent changes in management, the delegation considered it important to pay a courtesy call on the revered traditional ruler.
Mr. Hagan described the Asantehene as a unifying figure and peacemaker whose leadership continues to contribute to national stability. Mr. Hagan noted that although ICUMS has existed for some time, continuous enhancements have made it more effective in supporting revenue mobilisation adding that the introduction of modern technologies, including the Publican AI system and other digital systems, had significantly strengthened tax administration.
According to him, whenever a new system is introduced, there are bound to be some challenges for which some people need time to understand and adapt to the new processes.
The Chairman of the Board stressed the need to pay taxes to finance provision of quality schools, good roads and modern hospitals, otherwise, we will continue borrowing other people’s tax money and pay huge interest on them.
He, therefore, urged all Ghanaians to support the GRA in mobilising the resources required by the Ministry of Finance to fund development projects. The Board chairman underscored the importance of accountability in the use of public funds stressing that people want to see what their tax money is being used for hence President Mahama’s pledge to lead a transparent and accountable government, ensuring that the public is informed about how tax revenue is utilised.
The Board Chairman disclosed that the Authority had secured additional land to facilitate the expansion of its operations, a development he said would strengthen the GRA’s capacity to deliver on its mandate.
