---
title: "Ghana Seeks to Boost Domestic Revenue With Digitized Tax System"
description: "Ghana seeks to boost domestic revenue with a digitized tax system that improves compliance, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia said in a speech to students at Ashesi University in the Eastern region."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Business Maverick"
author: "Bloomberg"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/bloomberg/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-11-03-ghana-seeks-to-boost-domestic-revenue-with-digitized-tax-system/"
published: "2021-11-03T05:22:05"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 144
---

# Ghana Seeks to Boost Domestic Revenue With Digitized Tax System

> Ghana seeks to boost domestic revenue with a digitized tax system that improves compliance, Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia said in a speech to students at Ashesi University in the Eastern region.

By Bloomberg · Published 3 November 2021, 07:22 SAST

## Content

The West African nation’s revenue fell short of target by 12% in the first seven months of the year and raises concerns about the country’s ability to finance its debts.

Ghana has a major challenge in domestic revenue mobilization with a tax-to-GDP ratio at 14.3%, compared with 27% for a peer country such as South Africa and 34% in advanced economies, Bawumia said. That has led to the implementation of a national ID card, which serves as the tax identification number and has increased the taxable adult population to 86% from a low of 4% in early 2017, he said.

Africa’s biggest gold producer has also started the process to launch a central bank digital currency next year, “The E-Cedi is a digital form of the physical cedi in circulation, it is a legal tender issued and backed by bank of Ghana,” Bawumia said.