The Ministry of Finance has revealed that the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) successfully registered
1,394,842 taxpayers in the year 2019.
This brought the total number of taxpayers registered with Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) to
3,394,488 as of 31st December, 2019, resulting from the drive to improve tax administration and
expand the tax base.
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These were contained in the ministry’s budget performance report for the 2019 presented to
Parliament on April 8, 2020 by the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.
Presenting the Finance Committee’s report on the budget performance, Dr. Mark Assibey Yeboah said
the Finance Ministry in the year under review “undertook some major technological initiatives to
offer enhanced online services to taxpayers.”
“These included the online Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) registration, introduction of the
Integrated Tax Application and Preparation System App (iTAPS) to encourage voluntary filing, and
payment and deployment of an Integrated Management System for customs administration,” he
indicated.
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Expenditure Management
He reported that the ministry in 2019 deployed the GIFMIS to four IGF generating sites, namely
Medical and Dental Council, Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Ghana Free Zones Board, National
Health Insurance Authority.
“Additionally, the Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS) was launched and five pilot
entities were trained on how to operate,” he disclosed.
2019 Budget and Expenditure
For the 2019 financial year, the Ministry of Finance and its six agencies, namely Controller and
Accountant General’s Department (CAGD), Ghana Statistical Service (655), Public Procurement
Authority (PPA) Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Institute of Accountancy Training (IAT)
and the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), were allocated a total budget of GH¢563,808,391.
This figure was reduced by 5.4 per cent in the midyear review of the 2019 budget to GH¢533,551,480,
the ministry stated and added that GH¢306,146,170 came from GoG, GH¢199,482,972 from DP
Funds, GH¢24,944,309 from IGF and GH¢2,978,028 from ABFA.
“Actual expenditure outturn for the 2019 financial year amounted to GH¢524,522,567.39
representing 98.3% of the revised budget,” he added.
Observations
The Finance Committee observed that real GDP growth recovered strongly from 3.4 per cent in 2016,
growing at 8.1 per cent and 6.3 per cent in 2017 and 2018 respectively.
For 2019, real GDP was projected to grow by 7.6 per cent. However, this target was revised
downwards to 7.0 per cent on the back of lower than expected crude oil and gas volumes envisaged at
the time of the budget, Dr. Assibey Yeboah said.
“Provisional estimates for the first three quarters of 2019 indicate an average real GDP growth rate
of 6.0 per cent, thus being on track to achieving the revised 7.0 per cent target for the entire year
2019,” he added.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House
