…GH¢6.978 billion more than Ammishaddai
The Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Julie Essiam, has officially tendered her resignation to the Office of the President through the Minister-Designate for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, trumpeting her achievement in less than a year that she has been in charge of the country’s foremost revenue drive.
The President, John Dramani Mahama, has since appointed Anthony Sarpong, a Senior Partner at auditing firm KPMG, as the Acting Commissioner-General of GRA, with his appointment taking immediate effect.
Ms. Essiam, had in her resignation letter, highlighted that under her leadership, the GRA recorded a higher revenue performance of GH¢152.977 billion, surpassing the 2024 target of GH¢145.998 billion by GH¢6.978 billion—a 4.8% increase on that of her predecessor; Dr Ammishaddai Owusu–Amoah.
This performance boosted Ghana’s tax-to-GDP ratio to 17.0%, exceeding the 16.1% target, and represented nominal revenue growth of 35.3% over 2023.
Despite these achievements, Ms. Essiam noted that further reforms are necessary for optimal revenue mobilization.
Ms. Essiam, who was appointed way past her mandatory retirement age of 60, by former President Nana Akufo-Addo on March 24, 2024, previously headed the GRA’s Support Services Division before assuming the top role, following the departure of Dr Owusu–Amoah. She used to be a staff of ECOBANK.
In her letter, she highlighted the Authority’s achievements under her tenure, particularly its revenue performance for the 2024 fiscal year.
Her resignation, detailed in a letter dated Monday, January 20, 2025, was addressed to the President of Ghana and copied to the Vice President, Chief of Staff, Finance Minister-Designate, and Secretary to the President.
Expressing gratitude for her time at the GRA, Ms Essiam, described her five-and-a-half-year tenure as an incredible career experience.
“With the greatest depth of gratitude, after five and a half years of an incredible career at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), I write to resign from my position as the Commissioner-General, with immediate effect,” she stated.
She praised the dedication of GRA employees, acknowledging their collective efforts in achieving historic revenue milestones.
“Together, we have accomplished remarkable successes, particularly in revenue collection, consistently exceeding our monthly revenue targets. I am proud of what this team has achieved for our nation,” she added, and emphasized the importance of implementing IMF Structural Benchmarks, including the Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS) for the Domestic Tax Revenue Division (DTRD) and the sustainability of the Taxpayer Data Cleansing initiative.
She assured that her recommendations had been outlined in a report to be submitted to the Finance Minister-Designate.
Ms. Essiam, expressed appreciation to former President Akufo-Addo for appointing her, as well as former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for his unwavering support.
She also thanked former Finance Minister, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, for his trust and the confidence he placed in her leadership.
Mr Sarpong, has 14 days to accept or decline the offer.
“His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana in accordance with 195 (1) of the Constitution and Section 13(1) of the Ghana Revenue Act, 2009 (Act 791) has appointed you as the Acting Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority pending receipt of the Constitutionally required advice of the government Board, given in consultation with the Public Services Commission”, a letter from the Office of the President stated.
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