The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has announced an ambitious target to reduce the country’s Value Added Tax (VAT) gap from 60% to approximately 30% by the end of 2028.
Dr Martin Kolbil Yamborigya, Commissioner for the Domestic Tax Revenue Division, disclosed the goal during the launch of the GRA’s VAT Compliance Campaign in Accra.
The initiative is part of the Authority’s broader VAT Strategic Plan aimed at improving compliance and boosting collections.
“According to our VAT strategic plan, we are hoping that between now and the end of 2028 we should be able to close this gap from the current 60% to about 30%,” Dr Yamborigya told journalists.
The commissioner explained that achieving this target will require the GRA to collect at least 30% more VAT from the existing tax base.
He emphasised that the long-term objective is to foster a culture of voluntary compliance among businesses and individuals.
“In the long run, we expect every Ghanaian to comply so that the tax will be collected,” he stated.
The GRA’s approach combines education with enforcement. Following compliance visits to businesses at the Accra Mall, officials found that some were not consistently issuing VAT invoices.
He said the Authority has opted to educate and engage the affected businesses.
“If we were not to show a human face, we probably would have called for their arrest immediately,” Dr Yamborigya said.
“We are going to be more engaging; we are going to be more educative. But where we find out that the non-compliance is deliberate, that’s what we apply.”
The commissioner stressed that the campaign is not intended to harass businesses or place them at a disadvantage, but to ensure taxpayers understand and meet their obligations.
