By Isaac Boadi(Prof)
Ghana stands at a precipice. While the nation battles debt distress, inflation, and austerity measures, a silent crisis threatens to push it further into fiscal chaos: tax revenue hemorrhage.
Billions of cedis vanish annually through systemic leakages, depriving the state of funds critical for healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
Drawing on reports from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Bank of Ghana (BoG), Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC), Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI), and the Auditor General, this piece exposes the alarming scale of tax losses—and the dire consequences of inaction.
Illicit Financial Flows: $3 Billion Annually (GII, 2022)
The GRA estimates that 30% of potential tax revenue remains uncollected, with high-net-worth individuals and foreign firms exploiting legal loopholes.
The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) paints a grim picture of tax evasion. In its 2022 Corruption Risk Assessment (p. 17), the GII warned that
“Ghana loses $3 billion annually to illicit financial flows, including corporate tax evasion, trade misinvoicing, and profit-shifting by multinational companies. This represents 10% of the national budget.”
Gold Mining: $2 Billion Loss (GHEITI) 2022
The Minerals Commission estimates that 60% of small-scale mining operations evade taxes entirely.
Ghana’s gold sector, a key revenue source, is riddled with underpayments. The 2023 Annual Report on Small-Scale Mining states;
“Over 60% of small-scale gold mining operations evade taxes and royalties, contributing to an annual revenue shortfall of $500 million. Combined with corporate tax avoidance, total losses exceed $2 billion.”
Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI) 2022 Mining Sector Report stated in the 2023 Annual Report (p. 34) that;
“Ghana loses approximately $2 billion annually to illicit financial flows in the gold sector, including smuggling, under-declaration of exports, and transfer pricing by multinational mining companies.”
Ghana Economic Update: Strengthening Fiscal Sustainability by World Bank (2023) reports sates;
“Transfer pricing, under-invoicing, and smuggling in the gold sector cost Ghana up to $2 billion in lost revenues annually, undermining efforts to curb debt distress.”
Oil and Gas: $1.5 Billion Unaccounted (Energy Minister, 2023)
Weak enforcement in the oil sector allows multinationals to sidestep taxes. The energy minister noted in a 2023 Parliamentary Address (p. 12) that “Opaque production-sharing agreements have led to $1.5 billion in unaccounted oil revenues since 2020. Ghana’s tax laws are outpaced by corporate tax avoidance strategies.”
Customs and Trade: $950 Million Evaded (World Bank, 2023)
Customs and Trade corruption remains a major drain. The World Bank’s 2023 Ghana Economic Update (p. 45) revealed that “under-invoicing of imports like vehicles, machinery, and textiles costs Ghana $950 million annually in evaded import duties. This is organized crime, not mere administrative failure.”
Cocoa Sector: $150 Million Lost to Smuggling (Ministry of Agriculture, 2023)
Cocoa, Ghana’s economic backbone, is undermined by smuggling. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s 2023 Policy Review (p. 31) noted that “$150 million is lost yearly to cocoa smuggling, denying the state export taxes and farmer levies. Cartels exploit porous borders to sell beans to neighboring countries.”
Forestry and Logging: $250 Million Lost (Forestry Commission, 2023)
The Forestry Commission’s 2023 Report (p. 18) found that:“Illegal logging costs Ghana $250 million annually in unpaid timber royalties and taxes. Chainsaw operators, who dominate the sector, operate entirely outside the tax net.”
Informal Sector: GHȼ 15.6 Billion Gap (Bank of Ghana, 2023)
The informal economy, which employs 80% of Ghanaians, remains a tax black hole. The Bank of Ghana’s 2023 Payment Systems Report (p. 27) stressed that:“While mobile money transactions exceeded GHȼ 1 trillion (approximately $83 billion) in 2023, Ghana’s informal economy, which dominates employment, remains a critical challenge for tax authorities, contributing to an estimated annual revenue gap of GHȼ 15.6 billion.”
Public Procurement: $170 Million Wasted (Auditor General, 2023)
Fraudulent contracts bleed public funds. The Auditor General’s 2023 Report (p. 15) exposed that:
“$170 million was wasted on ghost projects and inflated contracts in 2023. These schemes evade procurement taxes and divert resources from critical needs.”
Fertilizer Subsidies: $100 Million Lost (National Fertilizer Council, 2023)
Subsidized fertilizers meant for farmers are diverted. The National Fertilizer Council’s 2023 Audit (p. 9) and cited also by Agric Watch Ghana reported that:“$100 million is lost yearly to fertilizer smuggling. These subsidies, funded by taxpayers, end up enriching smugglers in neighboring countries.”
Ports and Harbors: $250 Million Loss (Ghana Shippers’ Authority, 2023)
Corruption at ports further exacerbates losses. The Ghana Shippers’ Authority’s 2023 Maritime Review (p. 24) warned that “Collusion between officials and importers leads to a 25% loss in import duties, costing Ghana $250 million yearly.
Collectively, Ghana loses $9.02 billion annually to these leakages, a sum that could fund six years of the Free Senior High School program, eliminate healthcare deficits, or halve its debt servicing burden.
Yet, weak enforcement, outdated systems, and institutionalized corruption perpetuate this crisis. As the Auditor General’s 2023 Report concluded: “Without plugging these leaks, Ghana’s fiscal stability will remain a mirage.”
Equivalences Based on 2023 Budgets
Ghana’s $9.02 billion annual revenue hemorrhage is equivalent to:
- 6x the budget for the Free Senior High School (SHS) program.
- 4.5x the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) allocation.
- 50% of the $18 billion debt servicing cost for 2023.
These losses perpetuate a cycle of borrowing, austerity, and underdevelopment. As the Auditor General’s 2023 report warned: “Without urgent reforms, Ghana risks insolvency.”
To address Ghana’s revenue crisis, a multi-faceted approach is essential:
First, automating revenue systems through digitization of tax collection, port operations, and procurement can drastically reduce corruption and human error. Digital platforms would enable real-time tracking, eliminating ghost invoices, under-declared imports, and fraudulent deals, thereby plugging leaks at their source.
Second, stricter sanctions must be enforced to deter malpractice. Imposing hefty fines, asset seizures, and jail terms for tax evasion, smuggling, and illicit financial flows is critical. Without credible penalties, loopholes will persist, perpetuating revenue losses and undermining fiscal integrity.
Third, public transparency is vital to accountability. Publishing oil, gas, and mining contracts for citizen scrutiny would empower Ghanaians to hold corporations and officials accountable. Transparent reporting of royalties and profits ensures fair resource governance and prevents exploitation by foreign entities.
Fourth, leveraging technology to integrate the informal sector and modernize revenue systems is key. Digitizing SME registrations, and using data analytics could unlock billions in untapped revenue.
The Medium-Term Revenue Strategy (MTRS) 2024–2027 prioritizes this digital shift to formalize the informal economy, which employs 80% of Ghanaians, and transform it into a sustainable revenue stream. Together, these measures offer a roadmap to fiscal stability, redirecting lost funds toward national development.
Success, however, depends on political will, institutional collaboration, and public vigilance. Failure to act risks entrenched poverty, debt dependency, and irreversible erosion of public trust, a cost Ghana cannot afford.
Revenue hemorrhage is not just an economic issue, it is a moral failure. Every dollar lost deepens inequality and deprives citizens of basic services. As PIAC’s 2023 report implored: “Accountability must become a national priority, not a slogan.” Ghana’s future hinges on plugging these leaks, now.
The author is the Dean, Faculty of Accounting and Finance, UPSA,
Executive Director, Institute of Economic and Research Policy, IERPP
