By Ashiadey Dotse
The Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Julie Essiam, has stepped down from her position.
In a resignation letter dated January 20, 2025, addressed to the President through the Finance Minister-designate, Ms. Essiam expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to serve. She described her five-and-a-half-year career with the GRA as “incredible” and announced that her resignation was effective immediately.
Ms. Essiam was appointed as Commissioner-General in March 2024 by former President Nana Akufo-Addo. Before this role, she led the Support Services Division at GRA.
During her tenure, the GRA achieved a revenue collection of GH₵152.977 billion for 2024, surpassing the target of GH₵145.998 billion by GH₵6.978 billion. This marked a 4.8% improvement over the target and a tax-to-GDP ratio of 17.0%, exceeding the projected 16.1%.
In her resignation letter, Ms. Essiam noted the progress made but emphasized the need for further reforms in the Authority’s operations. She recommended the full implementation of the IMF Structural Benchmarks, such as the Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS) for Domestic Tax Revenue Division and continued Taxpayer Data Cleansing initiatives.
She concluded by expressing her honor in serving the nation and noted that her recommendations had been submitted to the Finance Minister-designate.
Julie Essiam’s resignation comes less than a year into her role as Commissioner-General, leaving a legacy of improved revenue performance and a call for transformational reforms.
