Only 1.2 million Ghanaians currently pay their taxes, a figure the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) describes as alarming and detrimental to domestic revenue mobilisation and national development efforts. Cephas Makafui Zokah, a Compliance Officer at the GRA, attributed the problem partly to low public awareness and reluctance among workers, particularly in the informal sector. He said the Authority has intensified a nationwide tax sensitisation campaign to tackle the challenge and expand the tax net. Zokah made the remarks at a tax education forum in Sunyani attended by artisanal workers including electricians, carpenters, plumbers, masons, tailors, hairdressers, traders and apprentices from the Sunyani and Berekum Municipalities of the Bono Region. The compliance rate stands at approximately 30 per cent, a situation that threatens revenue generation across the country. With Ghana’s informal sector accounting for about 70 per cent of the workforce, tax officials say bringing these workers into compliance could unlock hundreds of millions of cedis annually. The country could mobilise about GH¢800 million in income tax each year if informal sector workers paid their taxes, Zokah told participants at the Sunyani forum. To address the gap, Zokah introduced participants to the Modified Taxation Scheme (MTS), a digital platform designed to simplify tax processes for the informal sector. He took the group through registration and payment procedures, urging them to adopt the system and fulfil their tax obligations more conveniently. The MTS allows informal sector businesses to register with the GRA, file their tax returns and pay required taxes without physical visits to GRA offices. Workers can pay through Mobile Money accounts, ATM cards or at their various banks. Those with smartphones can visit the nearest GRA office for assistance with registration. Zokah explained that the scheme is expected to increase tax revenue, improve compliance, promote fairness and equity across the tax system, and ease administrative burdens on both taxpayers and the Authority. Festus Onomah-Quansah, the Sunyani Area Director of the GRA, emphasised that the application’s flexibility makes payment easier for individuals and small businesses. He reminded citizens that tax collection is a shared responsibility and urged workers, especially those in the informal sector, to demonstrate patriotism by voluntarily paying their taxes to support national development. The tax education drive comes as the GRA launches broader efforts to widen the revenue base. The Authority is targeting eight million new taxpayers through two flagship programmes: the Sustained Tax Education Programme and the Modified Taxation Scheme. Under the first phase of the rollout, the GRA plans to enrol two million new taxpayers annually over the next three years. Officials believe that successfully onboarding these additional taxpayers could yield up to GH¢40 billion in extra domestic revenue over the coming years. Commissioner-General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong has urged the media to intensify public education on tax reforms, noting that without clear and simplified communication, voluntary compliance would remain low. He stressed that many taxpayers hesitate to fulfil obligations when they do not fully understand the system. The GRA has established a Working Group to develop a three-year national tax education strategy aimed at boosting voluntary compliance. Officials warn that relying heavily on enforcement alone risks alienating the majority of taxpayers. The push for broader tax compliance is taking place against the backdrop of major tax reforms set to take effect in January 2026, including changes to the Value Added Tax regime and new measures to capture revenue from digital transactions and cryptocurrency gains. For now, the focus remains on reaching artisans, traders and other informal sector workers through community forums and simplified digital tools that remove traditional barriers to compliance.