News:
August 26, 2025
The Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Anthony Sarpong, has urged tax defaulters — including state institutions, corporate bodies, and business owners to proactively engage with tax officials to regularize their obligations.
He noted that in instances of unprofitable operations or financial distress, businesses should seek structured arrangements such as tax payment plans, waivers, or negotiated settlements in line with the tax laws, rather than defaulting.
According to him, open engagement with the GRA will ensure compliance, prevent the accumulation of tax arrears, and safeguard both businesses and the state from revenue shortfalls.
Addressing journalists on the sidelines of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sitting, when they made an appearance, the Commissioner-General said there has been “continuous engagement with tax payers to ensure that they pay the debts. I want to take this opportunity to ask and appeal to taxpayers that it is not a matter of dodging the tax, it is a matter of dialoguing with us and finding the ways of settling their debts even in difficult times.
Also on rare occasions, we use enforcement actions that are permitted by law that is either garnishing of accounts of or ceiling off but we always say GRA wants to have the human face and therefore we are not using these actions as norm but rarely and we would like to encourage taxpayers that we shouldn’t get to that point, where we have difficulties, we can talk and make sure we dialogue to collect their money.
So on a whole, we assured the committee that we are taking strides and taking all the actions to recover all the amounts that taxpayers owe”
At the PAC sitting on Monday, the Commissioner-General told the Committee members that nine institutions owe the state a total of GH¢47 million in unpaid taxes as of the end of 2023.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday, August 25, 2025, the Commissioner General, Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, said the Authority is taking steps to recover the outstanding amounts.
According to the GRA, the Graphic Communications Group tops the list with a debt of GH¢3.4 million, followed by GIHOC Distilleries with GH¢2.1 million, while the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) owes GH¢136,000.
Management of the GRA explained that most of the indebted institutions, particularly state-owned enterprises, attribute their inability to pay to persistent cash flow challenges.
In addition to the GH¢47 million, the Authority also revealed that unpaid Value Added Tax (VAT) liabilities amounting to GH¢116 million remain outstanding. This was confirmed by the Commissioner for Domestic Tax Revenue, Edward Apenteng Gyamerah.
Mr. Sarpong assured the Committee that the GRA is intensifying efforts to recover the arrears and ensure compliance across all sectors.
The Public Accounts Committee is presently reviewing the report of the Auditor-General on the Public Accounts of Ghana -Ministries, Departments and other agencies for the year ended December 31st, 2024.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com