The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) says about six out of every ten businesses in Ghana are not complying with their tax obligations, a situation it says is creating an unfair competitive environment for businesses that meet their tax responsibilities.

Commissioner-General of the GRA, Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, disclosed this at the AGI 2026 Industrial and Exhibition Summit, where he called for stronger tax compliance to ensure businesses compete on a level playing field.

“For every 10 businesses in Ghana, about six are not complying,” Mr Sarpong said.

According to him, businesses that fail to meet their tax obligations can gain an unfair advantage over compliant companies, potentially undermining efforts to build a competitive and sustainable private sector.

“For those of you who are complying, you are doing your best. For those who are not complying, they are then becoming… unfair advantage,” he said.

Mr Sarpong said the GRA is therefore intensifying efforts to improve compliance while making it easier for businesses to meet their tax obligations.

He said the Authority’s approach is centred on broadening the tax base, improving predictability, simplifying tax rules and using digitisation to strengthen compliance.

GRA to intensify digital monitoring

As part of efforts to address non-compliance, the GRA plans to implement the Fiscal and Accounting Devices Act in the last quarter of 2026.

The Commissioner-General said the government-approved devices will be used by businesses in their transactions to help improve VAT compliance.

He said the measure is expected to contribute to a more level playing field by ensuring that businesses properly account for their transactions and tax obligations.

The GRA is also rolling out its Integrated Tax Administration System, which Mr Sarpong described as a major step towards reducing human intervention and making tax administration more efficient.

“This is a game-changer that is going to allow a more efficient and seamless interface… to remove some of the human interventions,” he said.

The system, he explained, will allow taxpayers to engage with the GRA digitally and make it easier for businesses to voluntarily comply with their tax obligations.

Mr Sarpong stressed that the objective is not simply to collect more taxes but to create an environment where compliant businesses are not disadvantaged by those who evade their obligations.

He said the GRA’s success is ultimately linked to the success of Ghanaian businesses and industries.

“GRA succeeds when Ghana’s industries succeed,” he stated.