GRA targets 8 million informal workers in ambitious tax expansion drive

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has unveiled an ambitious plan to widen the country’s tax base by integrating over eight million informal sector workers into the national tax system within the next three years.

Speaking at the launch of the Sustained National Tax Education Programme and the Modified Taxation Scheme in Accra on November 5, 2025, Commissioner-General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong said the initiative could yield billions of Ghana cedis in additional revenue if effectively executed.

According to him, the GRA aims to bring about two million individuals into the tax net in the first phase of the programme. “If each person pays an average of GH¢5,000 in taxes, we could generate roughly GH¢10 billion during phase one alone,” he stated.

The second phase, Sarpong added, seeks to capture an additional six million taxpayers, potentially increasing revenue by another GH¢13 billion.

The Modified Taxation Scheme has been tailored to simplify tax compliance for small and micro enterprises, including artisans, shop owners, and street vendors. The system introduces a more user-friendly registration and payment process to reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks and promote voluntary compliance.

“This approach is built around convenience and clarity, particularly for small businesses,” Sarpong explained. “It’s a collective national effort to strengthen our development agenda.”

He reaffirmed the GRA’s commitment to transparency, fairness, and service excellence, stressing the need for stronger collaboration with the private sector to enhance feedback mechanisms and apply data-driven insights for improved compliance and revenue mobilisation.

“Our goal is for GRA to be viewed not merely as a tax collector, but as a genuine partner in Ghana’s progress,” Sarpong concluded.