Wednesday, 7 October 2026

Ghana’s news, on the hour · Est. 2026

Wednesday, 7 October 2026

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Ghanaian press · Person

Anthony Kwasi Sarpong

Also known as: Mr Anthony Kwasi Sarpong · Mr Sarponge · Commissioner General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong

Anthony Kwasi Sarpong — Ghana Revenue Authority Commissioner-General driving tax modernization and revenue mobilization initiatives.

2026-06-022026-10-07

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

June 2026
2 JunJoy Online
… Under the leadership of President John Mahama, and guided by the vision of the Commissioner-General, Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, GRA is leading tax reforms anchored on 3 principles: fairness, transparency, and support for growth. …
Restoring investor confidence to unlock opportunities and shared prosperity

Business

Aksa Energy delegation meets GRA Commissioner-General in Accra

The News

Aksa Energy's leadership delegation, led by Chief Finance Officer Cevdet Yalcin, met with Ghana Revenue Authority Commissioner-General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong on October 2 to introduce the company to the GRA and reaffirm its commitment to tax compliance. The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation and creating channels for engagement between the energy company and the revenue authority.

4 October 2026 · Joy Online →

Sunday 4 October

Aksa Energy delegation meets GRA Commissioner-General in Accra
Aksa Energy's leadership delegation, led by Chief Finance Officer Cevdet Yalcin, met with Ghana Revenue Authority Commissioner-General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong on October 2 to introduce the company to the GRA and reaffirm its commitment to tax compliance. The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation and creating channels for engagement between the energy company and the revenue authority.
4 October 2026 · Joy Online →

Monday 28 September

Ghana introduces real-time VAT system for digital services
Ghana's Revenue Authority has launched a Real-Time VAT (RTVAT) Framework powered by the Sentinal® system to collect VAT on cross-border digital services as they occur, rather than retrospectively. The GRA emphasizes the measure is not a new tax but a mechanism to enforce existing VAT obligations; about 167 non-resident e-commerce businesses are registered and contributed an estimated GH¢515 million in VAT annually, though a significant VAT collection gap remains.
28 September 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →

Sunday 27 September

Ghana's GRA launches real-time VAT system for digital services
Ghana's Revenue Authority has introduced a Real-Time Value Added Tax (RTVAT) Framework to improve VAT collection on cross-border digital services. The system collects VAT at the point of payment on qualifying transactions and remits to the GRA in real time, addressing a significant VAT gap as about 167 non-resident e-commerce businesses now contribute an estimated GH¢515 million in VAT annually.
27 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Sunday 20 September

Finance Minister urges African regional tax cooperation
Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson has urged African governments and regional institutions to strengthen tax cooperation to protect domestic revenue and secure development financing, and to coordinate positions more effectively on emerging global tax issues including base erosion and profit shifting, digital economy taxation, and the global minimum tax.
20 September 2026 · Joy Online →
GRA chief urges African tax cooperation for revenue growth
Ghana Revenue Authority Commissioner-General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong called for stronger cooperation among African tax administrations to enhance domestic revenue mobilisation and support sustainable development, citing growing public financing needs and debt vulnerabilities across the sub-region. He urged tax administrations to broaden the tax base, formalise informal economy activities, improve natural resource revenue management, and strengthen information exchange among jurisdictions.
20 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Saturday 19 September

GRA chief urges stronger tax cooperation across West Africa
The Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority called for stronger cooperation among African tax administrations to enhance domestic revenue mobilisation and support sustainable development, citing governments' growing public financing needs and debt vulnerabilities across the sub-region.
19 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Friday 18 September

Ghana tax chief urges West Africa to digitalize revenue collection
The Commissioner General of the Ghana Revenue Authority told West African tax administrators at a forum in Accra that modernization and digital technology—including e-filing, e-payment, and data analytics—are essential to improve tax compliance and broaden the tax base.
18 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Wednesday 16 September

Ghana customs revenue rises to $450m monthly with AI systems
Ghana Revenue Authority customs collections have increased to approximately $450 million a month since introducing artificial intelligence systems for valuation and classification, up from $350 million monthly, according to the Commissioner General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong.
16 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Tuesday 15 September

GRA targets doubling revenue by 2028 through business growth
The Ghana Revenue Authority aims to double its 2024 revenue collections by 2028, with Commissioner-General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong stressing that growth in businesses and industry is critical to achieving the target. The GRA's strategy focuses on broadening the tax base, improving tax compliance, simplifying rules, and using digitisation to increase efficiency.
15 September 2026 · Joy Online →
GRA to implement Fiscal and Accounting Devices in Q4 2026
The Ghana Revenue Authority will roll out government-approved Fiscal and Accounting Devices in the last quarter of 2026 to improve VAT compliance and transaction monitoring. The move is part of broader GRA reforms to strengthen tax compliance and create a fairer tax environment.
15 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Six of ten businesses in Ghana non-compliant with tax obligations
The Ghana Revenue Authority says about six out of every ten businesses in Ghana are not complying with their tax obligations, creating an unfair competitive environment. The GRA is intensifying efforts to improve compliance through broadening the tax base, simplifying tax rules, and using digitisation.
15 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Sunday 13 September

GRA proposes expanding Modified Taxation Scheme to small companies
The Ghana Revenue Authority is proposing to extend the Modified Taxation Scheme to qualifying small limited liability companies with annual turnover of up to GH¢750,000, allowing eligible businesses to benefit from a simplified tax regime rather than standard corporate compliance requirements. The Commissioner-General announced the policy shift at an MTS stakeholder workshop in Accra, aimed at making the tax system more responsive to small businesses.
13 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Monday 7 September

Lawyer calls for cosmetology council to formalise Ghana's beauty sector
Elsie Appau-Klu has called for the establishment of a cosmetology council and formalisation of Ghana's beauty and wellness industry, arguing this will unlock its potential for youth employment, entrepreneurship, and revenue generation. She noted the sector, which ranges from hairdressing to spa services, employs and serves millions of Ghanaians but remains largely informal despite its economic importance.
7 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Friday 4 September

GRA clarifies passenger duty rules for phones and laptops
The Ghana Revenue Authority has clarified that passengers carrying more than two mobile phones or laptops into Ghana will not automatically be required to pay duty. Commissioner-General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong said Customs officers assess goods based on the circumstances of each passenger, including whether items are for personal use or commercial quantities, rather than applying absolute rules based on item numbers.
4 September 2026 · Joy Online →

Thursday 27 August

GRA Commissioner donates pickup to police, funds mothers' hostel
Ghana Revenue Authority Commissioner-General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, through his foundation, has partnered with the Emelia Ankomah Education, Health and Welfare Fund to support a mothers' hostel at Dunkwa-on-Offin Municipal Hospital and donated a pickup vehicle to Upper Denkyira East Police Command to improve operational capacity for emergency response and security operations.
27 August 2026 · Joy Online →

Thursday 20 August

GRA expands data analytics in tax administration for revenue growth
The Ghana Revenue Authority is deepening use of data analytics and statistical tools in tax administration to improve revenue mobilisation and strengthen compliance, citing challenges including VAT collection at only half expected levels and below-target corporate income tax performance. The Technical Advisor to the Commissioner-General stressed that as the economy becomes increasingly digital, tax administration must become intelligent, responsive and data-driven.
20 August 2026 · Joy Online →
Vice President calls for fairer tax system to boost compliance
Vice President Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has called for a simpler and fairer tax system that encourages individuals and businesses to fulfil their tax obligations, saying taxpayers are more likely to comply when they understand the rules, receive good service, and trust public funds are used responsibly. The government is reforming the tax system to reduce the burden on households and businesses while mobilising revenue for national development, including abolishing some burdensome taxes and introducing changes to the VAT system through the Value Added Tax Act, 2025.
20 August 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →

Wednesday 19 August

Six in ten businesses fail to properly account for VAT
The Ghana Revenue Authority says only four out of ten businesses properly charge and account for VAT, while the rest either remain unregistered or fail to remit VAT collected from customers. The GRA is combining technology with enforcement measures, including the Fiscal Electronic Devices Act, to improve compliance.
19 August 2026 · Joy Online →
GRA targets GH¢310 billion in tax revenue by 2028
The Ghana Revenue Authority aims to more than double tax revenue from GH¢155 billion in 2024 to GH¢310 billion by 2028, through improved tax compliance and reduced revenue leakages without introducing new tax rates. The Commissioner-General outlined annual projections of GH¢182 billion for 2025, GH¢225 billion for 2026, and GH¢260 billion for 2027.
19 August 2026 · Joy Online →

Friday 14 August

GRA partners with UK Revenue and Customs on border security
Ghana Revenue Authority has signed a partnership with His Majesty Revenue and Customs of the United Kingdom to promote border security, enhance revenue mobilisation, and facilitate knowledge-sharing on operations between the two countries. The agreement will provide technical assistance and enable exchange of information on border protection and post-clearance audits.
14 August 2026 · Joy Online →

Monday 10 August

Asantehene urges GRA to boost tax education among informal sector
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has called on the Ghana Revenue Authority to intensify public education on tax obligations and extend engagement to informal workers such as artisans, masons, hairdressers, and barbers to expand the revenue base and support national development.
10 August 2026 · The Chronicle →

Sunday 9 August

Electronic fiscal devices to improve VAT revenue collection in Ghana
Ghana's Revenue Authority is implementing certified electronic fiscal devices (EFDs) at retail points of sale to automatically record transactions, calculate VAT, and report to the GRA in real-time, aiming to close a compliance gap currently at approximately 40%. The GRA mobilised over 80 million cedis in the first half of the year with an end-of-year target of over 170 million cedis.
9 August 2026 · Joy Online →

Friday 31 July

Ghana Revenue Authority opens customs post at Antado, Cape Coast
The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority unveiled its first Command Border post in the Central Region in Antado, near Cape Coast, to support trade facilitation and combat illicit trade. Commissioner General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong assured traders that the post will facilitate legitimate trade while helping protect local businesses.
31 July 2026 · Joy Online →

Tuesday 14 July

GRA chief urges businesses to support national clean-up initiative
The Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority has called on businesses, individuals, and philanthropists to support youth-led sanitation and clean-up exercises by providing tools and resources, as part of government efforts to rid communities of filth and promote clean cities.
14 July 2026 · Joy Online →

Thursday 9 July

GRA allocates 18 confiscated truckloads to school feeding
Ghana's Revenue Authority intercepted 18 truckloads of transit cargo suspected of diversion into the local market and, on the Finance Ministry's directive, allocated them to the National School Feeding Programme. An investigation uncovered documentation fraud, under-declaration of goods, tariff misclassification, and possible identity fraud.
9 July 2026 · Joy Online →

Wednesday 8 July

GRA donates confiscated cooking oil to school feeding programme
The Ghana Revenue Authority has donated 39,256 jerry cans of vegetable cooking oil, seized in February following an investigation into customs fraud, to the National School Feeding Programme. The investigation of 18 trucks declared as transit cargo from Togo to Niger uncovered falsified trade documentation, under-declaration of goods, and incorrect tariff classification.
8 July 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →

Monday 29 June

GRA activates continuity measures amid heavy rains
The Ghana Revenue Authority has assured taxpayers and businesses that its operations will continue uninterrupted despite heavy rains disrupting transportation and commercial activities, with the Authority activating business continuity measures to ensure seamless delivery of Customs and Domestic Tax services across ports, border posts, and Taxpayer Service Centres.
29 June 2026 · Business & Financial Times →

Tuesday 9 June

ITAS system will not introduce new taxes, GRA assures businesses
Ghana Revenue Authority Commissioner-General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong has assured the business community that the Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS) will not lead to new taxes, but is instead designed to enhance efficiency and transparency in tax administration. The system will serve as a digital platform allowing businesses to register, file returns, and make payments seamlessly.
9 June 2026 · Joy Online →

Monday 8 June

GRA launches ITAS to simplify tax compliance for businesses
The Ghana Revenue Authority has assured businesses that its Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS) is designed to reduce the cost and complexity of tax compliance while improving transparency, efficiency and taxpayer services. The system became operational on April 1, 2026, under a controlled pilot programme at the Accra West Tax Office and the Kaneshie Taxpayer Service Centre.
8 June 2026 · Business & Financial Times →

Thursday 4 June

GRA pledges tax certainty to attract UK investors
The Ghana Revenue Authority has assured investors of a transparent, predictable and growth-oriented tax regime, repositioning itself from a revenue collection agency into a strategic partner supporting economic growth and private sector development.
4 June 2026 · Business & Financial Times →