Amid the quest for the country to improve its revenue mobilization, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) believes achieving its ambitious target of mobilising GH¢360 billion in tax revenue by 2028 will depend not only on stronger enforcement or digital systems.
The authority says changing how taxpayers perceive and respond to the country’s tax administration will be very crucial to the agenda.
According to the Commissioner of the Support Services Division of the GRA, Dr. Alex Adomakoh-Mensah, behavioural change communication will become a critical pillar of the Authority’s transformation agenda by helping build trust, improve taxpayer experience, and encourage voluntary compliance.
Speaking at the opening of a behavioural science communication training organised by the World Bank and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) for officials of the GRA in Accra, he said sustainable revenue growth begins with understanding people, not simply enforcing tax laws.
Winning Trust to Raise Revenue
Dr. Adomakoh-Mensah noted that while audits and enforcement remain necessary, they alone cannot deliver the level of voluntary compliance required to meet Ghana’s growing financing needs.
Instead, he said the GRA is adopting a more people-centred approach that focuses on understanding taxpayers’ experiences, perceptions and everyday realities. When taxpayers find it easy to access information, understand tax procedures, and believe they are being treated fairly, they are more willing to comply voluntarily, reducing the need for costly enforcement actions.
He described communication as more than simply sharing information, saying it is a tool for building trust, promoting transparency and strengthening confidence in the tax system.
Supporting GRA’s Transformation Agenda
The Commissioner explained that behavioural change communication aligns directly with the GRA’s top management vision of “Transformation for Impact and Growth,” which seeks to modernise the Authority while significantly expanding domestic revenue mobilisation.
He said investments in digital transformation, including initiatives such as the GovTech Innovation Challenge, would produce greater results when supported by effective communication that helps taxpayers navigate tax services confidently and understand their obligations.
According to him, technology alone cannot change taxpayer behaviour unless it is accompanied by clear, practical, and relatable communication that encourages compliance.
Every Interaction Matters
Dr. Adomakoh-Mensah challenged GRA staff to recognise that every encounter with a taxpayer either strengthens or weakens public trust.
He urged officials to demonstrate professionalism, integrity, empathy and transparency in their daily work, arguing that frontline officers represent the public face of the Authority.
The behavioural science training, organised with support from the World Bank and SECO, is expected to equip GRA officials with practical skills for engaging taxpayers, managing difficult conversations and communicating complex tax information more effectively.
Ultimately, he said, transforming taxpayer behaviour starts with transforming the behaviour of tax officials themselves.
“If we earn the trust of taxpayers through better communication and better service, voluntary compliance becomes a natural outcome rather than something achieved through enforcement alone,” he said.
The Commissioner is confident that the new approach would help the Authority move closer to its GH¢360 billion revenue target by 2028 while building a modern, customer-centred and trusted tax administration.
