A Modified Taxation Scheme has been launched by the government as part of efforts to widen the tax net and promote fairness in revenue collection.
The Chief of Staff, Mr Julius Debrah at the launch on Wednesday [Nov 5, 2025], announced that the government will begin taxing night-market businesses under the new scheme.
This, he said will be done as an initiative that aligns with the government’s 24-hour economy agenda with the aim to capture businesses that operate mainly at night but often escape official monitoring.
Speaking at the launch of the Sustained National Tax Education Programme and the Modified Taxation Scheme in Accra, Mr Debrah said the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) would work to bring all such enterprises into the tax system.
“One area I urge the authority to also pursue vigorously, and which is in line with the 24-hour economy initiative, is to focus on players in the night-market economy. Some businesses operate only at night, and it is very easy for them to escape our lenses. If we are working around the clock, we should be able to bring all these businesses into the tax net,” he said.
Mr Debrah said the new scheme was designed to broaden the tax base and ensure that all taxable income is accounted for. He added that the government wanted to build a fair and transparent system where no one bears an unfair share of the tax burden.
He said equity and voluntary compliance were central to the national tax reform drive.
Under the Sustained National Tax Education Programme, the Chief of Staff said the GRA would intensify public education to help citizens understand their rights and obligations.
He said this would help the public view tax payment not as a burden but as an investment in national development.
Mr Debrah urged the GRA to adopt improved technology to simplify filing and payment procedures and make compliance easier for traders and small businesses, including those in the informal and night-market sectors.
“The Ministry of Finance is committed to supporting the authority to use improved technology, simplify tax filing and payment, and promote transparency and accountability to improve voluntary tax compliance,” he said.
Mr Debrah commended the GRA for exceeding its revenue target by GH¢347 million as of September 2025. The authority had collected GH¢130.6 billion against a target of GH¢130.2 billion. He expressed confidence that it would end the year above the GH¢189 billion target.
He said Ghana’s fiscal stability depended on broad-based domestic revenue mobilisation.
The government’s Reset Agenda, he said, aimed to generate enough internal revenue to fund development projects while maintaining fairness and accountability in tax collection.
Mr Debrah called on citizens and residents to voluntarily declare and pay accurate taxes to support national progress. He said the government would continue to ensure transparency in the use of tax revenue to build public trust.
“Taxpayers must see that officials are stewards and not predators feeding on their gains,” he said. “Trust is built by consistency and clear communication about how tax revenues are used roads built, hospitals equipped, and classrooms furnished.”
He urged Ghanaians to support the new campaign to build what he described as a “happy taxpayer regime” where citizens take pride in contributing to the country’s development.
“Let us imagine our country where a teacher in a remote village has a decent classroom, a nurse has the equipment she needs, and citizens commute on roads your taxes help pay for,” he said.
“Together we can make this not just a policy initiative but a cultural transformation.”
