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The Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, has called for stronger cooperation among African tax administrations to improve domestic revenue mobilisation and support sustainable economic development across the region.
Sarpong said African governments were facing rising financing pressures and growing debt vulnerabilities as demand increased for infrastructure, social investment, climate adaptation and digital transformation.
He made the call at the opening of the 8th High-Level Policy Dialogue and 23rd General Assembly of the West African Tax Administration Forum (WATAF) in Accra.
The meeting, co-hosted by the GRA and WATAF, was held under the theme: “Building Stronger Tax Administrations for Revenue Mobilisation and Sustainable Development.”
Africa faces growing development financing gap
Sarpong said African countries needed to strengthen domestic resource mobilisation and ensure that tax systems generated revenue in a fair, efficient and sustainable manner.
He noted that West Africa recorded real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 4.8 per cent in 2025, with growth projected at 4.6 per cent in 2026.
Despite the positive growth outlook, he said the region continued to face a significant development financing gap, increasing the importance of effective domestic revenue systems.
According to the GRA Commissioner-General, stronger tax administration would be critical to helping governments finance development priorities while reducing reliance on external sources of funding.
Tax administrations urged to broaden revenue base
Sarpong urged tax authorities across the region to broaden their tax bases and improve the integration of economic activities into the formal tax system.
He identified the formalisation of activities within the informal economy, improved management of natural resource revenues and stronger information exchange between jurisdictions as areas requiring greater attention.
He said stronger cooperation between tax administrations could help countries address cross-border tax challenges and improve the efficiency of revenue collection.
Sarpong also described effective taxation as an important component of state capacity and the relationship between governments and citizens.
According to him, tax systems that are fair, transparent and trusted can support development while strengthening business confidence.
Digital tools can improve tax compliance
The GRA chief called for greater use of technology to modernise tax administration and improve compliance.
He identified electronic filing, electronic payments, digital invoicing, data analytics and artificial intelligence as tools that tax authorities can deploy to improve the efficiency of revenue collection.
The technologies can also support the identification of tax evasion, improve access to taxpayer information and help administrations broaden the tax base.
For African tax authorities, the growing digitalisation of economic activity makes investment in digital tax infrastructure increasingly important for keeping pace with emerging business models and improving regulatory oversight.
Strong institutions needed for sustainable revenue mobilisation
Beyond technology, Sarpong said tax administrations needed to strengthen their institutional capacity and professional standards.
He called for institutions anchored in professionalism, meritocracy, integrity, accountability and transparency, arguing that these principles are essential to building effective and trusted revenue authorities.
He said stronger regional collaboration, technological innovation and institutional capacity would be critical to improving revenue mobilisation and addressing the financing challenges confronting African economies.
The WATAF meeting provides a platform for tax administrations across West Africa to exchange policy approaches and strengthen cooperation as governments seek more sustainable sources of domestic revenue to finance development.
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