Ms. Julie Essiam has stepped down as Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). Her resignation was announced in a letter dated January 20, 2024, addressed to the President through the Finance Minister-designate.

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In the letter, Ms. Essiam expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to serve in her role. “With the greatest depth of gratitude, after five and half years of an incredible career at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), I write to resign from my position as the Commissioner-General of the Authority, with immediate effect,” she stated.

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Appointed in March 2024 by former President Akufo-Addo, Ms. Essiam’s tenure as Commissioner-General lasted less than a year. Prior to this, she was in charge of the GRA’s Support Services Division.

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Reflecting on her tenure, Ms. Essiam highlighted a notable achievement in revenue collection for the 2024 fiscal year. According to her, the GRA achieved a revenue performance of GH₵152.977 billion, surpassing its target of GH₵145.998 billion.

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“This represents exceeding our annual target by GH₵6.978 billion, an increase of 4.8%. With this performance, the GRA is now operating at a Tax to GDP Ratio of 17.0%, exceeding the target of 16.1%. Overall, this achievement represents a nominal growth of 35.3% over the 2023 performance,” she revealed.

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Despite these accomplishments, Ms. Essiam noted the need for further transformation within the GRA to maximize revenue mobilization. “This notwithstanding, there still remain opportunities for a fundamental transformation of the Authority’s operating model for optimal revenue mobilization,” she observed.

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She also emphasized the importance of implementing key reforms, including the Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS) for the Domestic Tax Revenue Division (DTRD) and sustaining the ongoing Taxpayer Data Cleansing initiative. “I have outlined all of this in my report to be shared with the Honorable Finance Minister – Designate,” she added.

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Concluding her letter, Ms. Essiam expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to serve the nation. “The opportunity to serve this nation in this capacity has been an honor and a privilege,” she remarked.

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