The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is aiming to generate an additional GHC40 billion in revenues over the next few years through its newly launched flagship initiatives, the Sustained Tax Education Programme and the Modified Taxation Scheme (MTS).
The new revenue mobilization drives are part of Ghana’s broader effort to reduce dependence on foreign aid and borrowing by strengthening domestic revenue collection.
The Commissioner-General of the GRA, Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, believes that if successful, this will mark one of the country’s biggest revenue expansion drives in recent years.
This could reshape Ghana’s fiscal landscape and help fund critical development priorities without leaning on external support.
First Phase: 2 Million New Taxpayers, GHC10 Billion in Three Years
Under the first phase, the GRA intends to bring two million new taxpayers, mainly from the informal sector, into the tax net within the next three years. GRA estimates that this effort could raise about GHC10 billion in additional revenue during the same period.
This first wave will target small businesses, artisans, and self-employed individuals who often operate outside the formal tax system. The newly launched Modified Taxation Scheme, which allows people to pay a simple flat rate of three percent via a mobile app, is expected to make compliance much easier.
Through the MTS app, taxpayers won’t grapple with long queues, complicated forms. With just a few taps on your phone, citizens can honour their obligations. The goal, they explained, is to remove the fear and confusion around taxes and make the process as seamless as mobile money.
Second Phase: Expanding the Net to 6 Million, Raising GHC30 Billion
In the second phase, which will roll out after 2028, the GRA plans to add another six million taxpayers to the system. This will triple the reach of the first phase.
This stage is projected to mobilize an additional GHC30 billion in revenue.
This sustained tax education effort will not only continue public sensitization but also deepen partnerships with schools, business associations, churches, and social groups. The goal is to make tax knowledge as common as financial literacy, ensuring that every Ghanaian understands how taxes work and why they matter.
What This Means for the Economy
If achieved, the additional revenue boost could significantly transform Ghana’s development agenda. It would help fund infrastructure, education, and healthcare, while reducing reliance on loans that often balloon public debt.
Economists believe this plan could also improve investor confidence, as stronger domestic revenue collection reduces fiscal risks and stabilizes the economy.
Commissioner-General Anthony Sarpong has emphasized that Ghana’s progress depends on its people’s willingness to fund their own development. “Our progress as a nation depends not on external aid but on our collective commitment to raise domestic revenue for our common good,” he said at the launch.
With this new potential revenue on the horizon, the GRA’s tax reform drive may well be the blueprint for Ghana’s next stage of socio-economic development.
