GRA Adopts ‘Human Face’ in Tax Collection – Commissioner-General

The Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, says the Authority is intentionally bringing a “human face” to tax collection while remaining firm in enforcing compliance with the law.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express Business Edition, Mr. Sarpong explained that the GRA’s recent focus has been on changing its posture to treat taxpayers with more respect and empathy, without compromising revenue mobilisation.

“Over the last five years, we have invested in what we call customer experience resources, where we are engaging our people in the culture of dealing with taxpayers with respect, with cordiality, but at the same time enforcing the laws that ensure that taxes are paid,” he said.

Building a Culture of Respect

According to Mr. Sarpong, taxes will never be popular, but GRA’s leadership has adopted a friendlier approach by embedding customer service training in its operations. The Authority now has a dedicated customer experience department and plans to introduce annual feedback surveys to gauge taxpayer interactions.

“The posture that we’ve taken as leadership is using GRA to bring the human face within the context of customer experience,” he added.

Firm but Flexible

The Commissioner-General stressed that while the GRA strives to be approachable, it cannot overlook deliberate non-compliance. The law, he explained, permits the Authority to apply “reasonable force” when taxpayers refuse to pay despite having the capacity.

Such measures may include directing banks to divert funds from taxpayer accounts or even blocking trading activities.

“This is used very rarely. It’s only in situations where the taxpayer has become recalcitrant, and yet we are fully aware that they have funds at the bank,” he clarified.

At the same time, the Authority shows flexibility to businesses facing genuine financial difficulties. Taxpayers in such situations may be granted a six-month to one-year repayment plan to ease compliance.

Defining the New GRA Identity

Mr. Sarpong said this blend of respect, flexibility, and firmness defines the Authority’s evolving identity.

“Before we deploy what I call reasonable enforcement measures, we give opportunities to taxpayers to take advantage of repayment plans, and I’m glad to say that many taxpayers do. It’s worked perfectly for both GRA and their business,” he noted.

The GRA’s “human face” approach forms part of a broader strategy to improve compliance, expand the tax net, and strengthen revenue mobilisation efforts.