POLICY BRIEFS

August 23, 2021

The Role of the Extractive Sector in Ghana’s Comparatively Low Public Sector Revenue Mobilization [Policy Brief No.11]

The government of Ghana has long sought to mobilize adequate revenue through a series of tax and non-tax policy and administration reforms, particularly starting from 1983. Yet, studies have found that, measured as a share of GDP, Ghana’s public sector revenue has performed very poorly relative to most other countries in the developing world. The government often cites three main factors as being the main causes of the problem. These are: (1) the large informal sector, which has proven difficult to tax; (2) weak real property taxation; and (3) the country’s generous tax exemption system. However, credible estimates of untapped […]
November 26, 2019

Policy Brief 9: Pass the Tax Exemptions Bill

In contrast to the rapid growth of expenditure, tax revenue in Ghana has remained very low as a share of GDP over the years due to the country’s tax-expenditure regime, including a wide range of exemptions and various forms of preferential tax treatment, concessions and low compliance. The continuous rise of tax exemptions impacts negatively on how much the government mobilizes as revenue to the state. Click here to read the full policy brief.
September 25, 2019

Assessing the management of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) revenue [Policy Brief No. 8]

Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), the national oil company, receives close to one-third of the total petroleum revenues of Ghana, placing it at the core of the country’s aspirations towards effective management of its hydrocarbon resources. This policy brief presents the findings of a study which assessed transparency and efficiency in the management of the petroleum revenue allocated to GNPC. Click here to read the full report.
September 25, 2019

Assessing the management of Ghana Petroleum Funds [Policy Brief No. 7]

Ghana’s Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA) requires a portion of petroleum revenues to be set aside in the Ghana Petroleum Funds (GPFs) for saving and investment. This policy brief presents the findings of a study which assessed transparency and efficiency in the management of the GPFs. To read the full report, click here.
October 23, 2018

Strong Economic Growth And Significant Reduction In Unemployment: The Critical Issues To Address In Ghana’s 2019 Budget [6]

Policy Brief 6. Strong Economic Growth And Significant Reduction In Unemployment: The Critical Issues To Address In Ghana’s 2019 Budget The Ghanaian economy has maintained virtually its “colonial structure” 60 years after independence as it still depends largely on cocoa, gold, timber and recently oil as the country’s main export commodities. Exported in raw and unprocessed form, these commodities fetch low prices on international markets where Ghana is a price taker, rendering the economy vulnerable to terms-of-trade shocks. The agriculture sector’s contribution to total output has been falling due to declining productivity. The manufacturing base of the economy has also […]
August 2, 2018

No.5: Integrity: The foundation for a Strong Financial Sector

Policy Brief 5. Integrity: The foundation for a Strong Financial Sector The financial sector is a critical component for economic development in any country. It is the heart of any vital economy, contributing to prosperity and wealth creation through the provision of financial resources to support businesses, mobilizing savings, and accelerating commerce by facilitating payments and transfers. In this special policy brief, Hon. Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, the former Minister of Finance and Economic Planning discussed the importance of integrity in building a strong financial sector.