GRA boss pledges simpler, more predictable tax regime                                                         

By Kingsley Webora TANKEH

The Commissioner-General of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Anthony Sarpong, has pledged government’s commitment to a simpler, more predictable and transparent tax system, announcing that major reforms to income tax and Customs laws are in the offing for 2026.

Addressing industry leaders at the 65^th Annual General Meeting of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Mr. Sarpong said tax simplicity is critical to fostering industrial growth and competitiveness – particularly within government’s flagship 24-hour economy.

“We believe that a predictable and transparent tax regime is one of the means to encourage competitiveness. When the tax laws and policies are clear, they are fairly applied, consistent; businesses can plan, invest and innovate with confidence,” he noted.

The GRA boss pointed to recent comprehensive VAT reforms captured in the 2026 budget as a sign of government’s shifted approach, which he said was shaped by consistent engagement with the business community.

“This is a process that as government, as GRA, we would like to continue. You see that in the 2026 budget; again, the minister has signaled that there’s going to be major reforms of income tax and the Customs Act,” he added.

He assured the audience of broader collaboration with industry in order to provide the conducive environment and stability businesses need, emphasising the advanced signalling’s importance.

“So that is signalling to us that something is going to be done and, of course, with the involvement of industry your inputs are considered,” Mr. Sarpong added.

The outgoing AGI president Dr. Humphery Ayim-Darke acknowledged the positive results of collaboration, listing several hard-won policy gains that have simplified the tax burden for local manufacturers. These include an extension of zero-rate VAT on local textiles and abolition of the COVID-19 levy.

Emphasising government’s commitment to predictability, Mr. Sarpong added: “Government has been very deliberate to ensure that there are no new taxes involved”.  He therefore clarified that the current focus is on “deepening and strengthening those that are already in the tax laws and removing the bottlenecks which do not support business growth”.

The GRA boss said government is aiming to leverage technology in simplifying the tax experience for businesses, announcing that a new Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS) is set to go live by March 2026.

“This is an automation of tax administration that will take us to the next higher level of ensuring the processes of complying with tax administration is made easier, convenient and supports the agenda of businesses,” Mr. Sarpong explained – stating the system will reduce the effort required for tax registration, payment and filing.

Further simplifying the tax system for importers, Mr. Sarpong confirmed the rollout of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system for Customs valuation. This, he argued, will eliminate human intervention and subjectivity; thus creating a fairer and more straightforward process for determining import duties.

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