Commissioner-General calls for stronger tax cooperation to boost regional revenue mobilisation

Ghana's Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, has emphasized the necessity of heightened cooperation among African tax authorities to bolster domestic revenue collection and foster sustainable development. Speaking at the inauguration of the 8th High-Level Policy Dialogue and 23rd General Assembly of the West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF) in Accra, Mr Sarpong highlighted the escalating fiscal demands and debt pressures confronting governments across the sub-region, driven by increasing expenditures on infrastructure, social programs, climate adaptation efforts, and digital advancements.

Addressing the forum's theme, "Building Stronger Tax Administrations for Revenue Mobilisation and Sustainable Development," Mr Sarpong underscored the imperative for African nations to efficiently and equitably generate domestic resources to confront their development financing deficits. Despite a healthy real Gross Domestic Product growth of 4.8 percent in 2025, with projections of 4.6 percent for 2026, West Africa remains confronted by a substantial shortfall in development funding.

To address this, Mr Sarpong advocated for broader tax bases, formalization of informal economic activities, enhanced management of natural resource revenues, and fortified cross-border information sharing. He stressed that robust tax systems are indispensable to state capabilities and the social contract between citizens and governments, asserting that transparent and credible tax administration can stimulate development and bolster business confidence.

The Commissioner-General further encouraged the accelerated adoption of modern technologies, such as electronic filing, digital payments, digital invoicing, data analytics, and artificial intelligence, to enhance compliance, combat tax evasion, and expand the tax base. Additionally, he urged tax administrations to cultivate institutions grounded in professionalism, meritocracy, integrity, accountability, and transparency.

Mr Sarpong underscored that strengthened collaboration, technological advancements, and well-managed institutions are crucial for elevating revenue mobilization throughout the region.