Country systems
Ghana: Ghana.gov, GhIPSS and Ghana Revenue Authority collection
Short answer
- Platform
- Ghana.gov, a payments and revenue collection platform 1
- Lead ministry
- Ministry of Finance, with support from the Ministry of Communications 1
- Firms named by the Presidency
- Hubtel, Expresspay and IT Consortium 1
- GRA cashless dates
- Ghana.gov from 1 May 2021. No cash at GRA offices from 1 July 2021 2
- Payment switch operator
- GhIPSS, wholly owned by the Bank of Ghana, incorporated May 2007 3
- Reported collections
- GH¢210,307,873,817.32, per the communications minister as reported on 19 February 2024 4
What Ghana.gov is and who runs it
The Office of the President describes Ghana.gov as a payments and revenue collection platform that gives citizens a single point of access to government services 1. The official site calls it Ghana's Digital Services and Payments Platform and credits the Government of Ghana 6.
The Presidency said the Ministry of Finance led the work with support from the Ministry of Communications. It named local technology companies Hubtel, Expresspay and IT Consortium as powering the payments platform. It said the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) hosts and manages the call centre 1. At the launch, 8 institutions were onboarded, including the GRA, the Passport Office and the Lands Commission, and 6 more were in process 1.
Start date and legal basis
Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia unveiled Ghana.gov at Jubilee House, Accra, on Wednesday 14 July 2021 1. On 19 February 2024 Cliff Ekuful of the Ghanaian Times reported, in an article on figures given by the Minister of Communication and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, that the platform was introduced in 2020 4. The Presidency gives 14 July 2021 for the unveiling and the Ghanaian Times gives 2020 for the introduction. The two sources give different years.
The GRA cashless page attributes the move to a directive of the Commissioner-General under the GRA Transformation Agenda. It does not cite a law 2. No statute for Ghana.gov was cited in the official pages opened for this article.
How a taxpayer pays the GRA
To pay on Ghana.gov, a taxpayer signs up with an email address and mobile number. Organisations need a TIN and individuals need a Ghana Card 2. Accepted methods are bank cards, QR code scan and pay, and mobile money 2.
Taxpayers can pay by mobile money by dialling *222#, choosing GRA and then GRA Direct Payments, and entering a TIN or Ghana Card PIN 2. They can pay at one of 22 designated banks with an invoice number, or by transfer, SWIFT, ACH, USSD, mobile banking or internet banking 2. GRA lists daily per-transaction mobile money limits of 5,000 for MTN and 2,000 for Vodafone and AirtelTigo, without stating the currency 2.
GhIPSS and how money moves
Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) is the national payment systems infrastructure provider. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bank of Ghana and was incorporated in May 2007 3. Its services include GhIPSS Instant Pay (GIP), the gh-link card switch, the e-zwich biometric card and the GhanaPay app 3. GhIPSS says GIP supports government transactions among other uses 3.
The official pages opened for this article do not describe how Ghana.gov receipts settle into government accounts at the Bank of Ghana, or any GhIPSS role in that settlement. No payer fee schedule was found on the GRA or Ghana.gov pages opened 2,6.
Audit findings
The Auditor-General's report on the public accounts of ministries, departments and agencies for the year ended 31 December 2018 found that GRA failed to collect GH¢33,675,044 from ten oil marketing companies. The firms did not pay taxes on petroleum products lifted at the Tema Oil Refinery between November 2016 and November 2017 5. The report says GRA did not apply sanctions against the defaulters 5.
The same report found that tax irregularities made up about 92.15 percent of the total infractions. It found GH¢3,539,858 of value books printed by the Controller and Accountant-General's Department for MDAs that the MDAs did not collect 5. The Audit Service summary, dated 24 July 2019, does not include a GRA response 5.
Common questions
Can I pay GRA taxes in cash?
No. GRA said that from 1 July 2021 it would no longer receive cash at its offices 2.
How do I pay GRA by mobile money?
Dial *222#, choose GRA, then GRA Direct Payments, enter your TIN or Ghana Card PIN and follow the prompts 2.
Who built Ghana.gov?
The Presidency said the platform is powered by Hubtel, Expresspay and IT Consortium, with the Ministry of Finance leading the work 1.
What is GhIPSS?
GhIPSS is the national payment systems provider, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bank of Ghana incorporated in May 2007 3.
How much has Ghana.gov collected?
The communications minister said in February 2024 that GH¢210,307,873,817.32 had been received through the platform, as reported by the Ghanaian Times 4.
Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@revenuecollectionexplained.org.
Sources
- Office of the President of Ghana: VP Bawumia Unveils One-stop Portal Ghana.gov (14 July 2021)
- Ghana Revenue Authority: Cashless policy (21 April 2021)
- GhIPSS: Home page and services (undated)
- Ghanaian Times, Cliff Ekuful: Ghana.gov revenue platforms: Govt bags GHC210bn... as revenue since introduction in 2020 (19 February 2024)
- Ghana Audit Service: GRA fails to collect Tax Revenue (24 July 2019)
- Government of Ghana: Ghana.gov About (undated)
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