Ghana’s finance minister calls for stronger tax cooperation — MyJoyOnline
Ghana’s Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson called on African governments and regional institutions to strengthen cooperation in taxation in order to protect domestic revenues and ensure funding for the continent’s development. His address was read out during an event in Accra, MyJoyOnline reports.
The minister’s speech was delivered by Kweku George Ricketts-Hagan, chairman of the Ghana Revenue Authority Board, at the opening of the eighth High-Level Policy Dialogue and the 23rd General Assembly of the West African Tax Administrations Forum, WATAF. The event was jointly organized by the Ghana Revenue Authority and WATAF.
Coordination in international taxation
Forson said African countries must strengthen their voice in the international tax architecture and coordinate their positions more effectively on emerging global tax issues. According to him, regional institutions must strengthen the capacity of member states’ tax administrations to implement international standards.
He also believes that such institutions should help African countries negotiate effectively and protect their legitimate tax base amid changes in the international tax environment. The minister named base erosion and profit shifting, taxation of the digital economy, and the global minimum tax among the key issues for Africa.
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Information exchange and professional development
Forson stressed that tax authorities cannot operate in isolation, as businesses increasingly structure their operations across different jurisdictions and capital moves rapidly across borders. He called on Africa’s tax administrations to strengthen mechanisms for exchanging taxpayer information, identifying cross-border tax risks, and sharing successful tax compliance practices.
The minister also advocated investing in African professionals to reduce excessive reliance on external technical assistance. He called on governments and regional organizations to develop the use of data, digital transformation, cross-border cooperation, and professional training for tax administration staff.
Ghana Revenue Authority Commissioner-General Anthony Kwasi Sarpong said African countries need to mobilize their own domestic resources fairly, efficiently, and sustainably. According to him, West Africa’s real GDP growth amounted to 4.8% in 2025 and is projected at 4.6% in 2026, but the region still faces a significant development financing gap. Sarpong called for broadening the tax base, formalizing the informal economy, improving the management of natural resource revenues, and strengthening information exchange between jurisdictions.
