Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has rejected claims of unpaid fees by the National Identification Authority (NIA), calling its sudden disconnection from the Identity Verification System (IVS) “unexpected” and the alleged debt “questionable.”
The move disrupts Ghana Card-linked taxpayer authentication, a cornerstone of the country’s digital tax infrastructure.
In a formal statement, GRA acknowledged “legacy debt” from pre-2025 services but emphasized transactions lacked “regulatory and governance approvals.” The tax body asserted its compliance protocols prohibit honoring payments without proper authorization, invoking President John Mahama’s “reset vision” for institutional governance.
The dispute reveals deeper inter-agency tensions. GRA disclosed that NIA has operated rent-free within its offices nationwide for years to register citizens, calling this arrangement “collaborative support.” Yet no formal service agreement for IVS usage exists, according to GRA, which called for scrutiny of NIA’s billing legitimacy.
“High-level discussions are ongoing to address procedural breaches,” GRA stated, while striking a conciliatory tone. It reaffirmed commitment to Ghana Card integration for tax administration despite the impasse, extending a “collaborative hand” to resolve the conflict.
The authority assured taxpayers its operations remain anchored to fairness and integrity. However, the standoff highlights systemic risks in Ghana’s e-governance framework, where critical systems lack binding service agreements.
