No Results, No Bonus: GRA Boss Signs Up for Pressure Pay

Editorial Summary: In a bold move to boost accountability, the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is putting his pay where his mouth is—literally. Under a new performance-based agreement, bonuses will only flow if revenue targets are hit, marking a no-nonsense shift in public sector motivation. At Accra Street Journal, we see this as a welcome signal: Ghana’s revenue leaders are finally being held to the same results-driven fire as the businesses they tax.

Detailed News: The government is preparing to tie top leadership at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) directly to measurable results through a new performance-based Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson announced the move during the inauguration of a newly constituted Governing Board of the GRA in Accra.

The MoU, expected to be signed between the government and the Commissioner-General of the GRA, will set clear annual revenue targets and performance benchmarks. Bonuses and strategic decisions at the Authority may hinge on meeting these indicators.

“This is a defining moment for our country,” said Ato Forson. “We are facing real fiscal pressures, limited access to international capital, reduced donor support, and tight financing conditions. In this climate, every tax cedi counts.”

The government reiterated its ambitious target to raise domestic revenue by at least 0.6 percentage points of GDP each year, starting in 2025. The broader aim is to achieve a 1.5% primary surplus and reduce Ghana’s external debt service-to-revenue ratio from 28% in 2022 to 18% by 2028.

The newly sworn-in board will be chaired by Hon. George Ricketts Hagan, The nine-member team is expected to help modernise the GRA, improve internal systems, and tackle revenue leakages, particularly from smuggling and inefficiencies.

“Every tax cedi lost to inefficiency, fraud, or smuggling is a missed opportunity to improve roads, schools, hospitals, and the lives of our people,” the minister noted.

Last Updated on May 1, 2025 by samboad