We don’t owe NIA GH¢376million for Identity Verification System, it’s surprising – GRA

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has strongly refuted claims by the National Identification Authority (NIA) that it owes GH¢376 million in unpaid fees for access to the Identity Verification System (IVS) platform.

The National Identification Authority (NIA) has confirmed it has disconnected the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) from its Identity Verification Service (IVS) platform over a staggering debt exceeding GH¢376 million, citing repeated breaches of agreement and a refusal to settle outstanding obligations.

The disconnection, which took effect on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, was triggered after what the NIA describes as months of unheeded notices and failed attempts to reach a payment or settlement arrangement with the GRA. The IVS platform is a critical national digital infrastructure that enables real-time identity verification via the Ghana Card database—a tool widely used by both public and private institutions.

Describing the allegations as surprising and misleading, the GRA insists there is no valid debt owed under its current financial and regulatory framework.

In a press release issued on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, the GRA expressed shock over the public accusations made by the NIA and clarified that any supposed indebtedness stems from a legacy arrangement inherited from previous years.

“There appears to be a legacy debt inherited as a result of some services rendered to the Authority by NIA prior to 2025,” the statement explained. However, the GRA noted that its review of the matter revealed the absence of necessary regulatory and governance approvals for the transactions that supposedly created the debt.

“From the GRA’s present assessment, there were no regulatory and governance approvals for the transaction that created the purported debt. GRA’s principles of transparency, compliance and governance protocols do not permit enforcement of transactions that do not meet regulatory requirements, particularly as demanded by the reset vision of the President and the Government,” the Authority stated.

According to the GRA, rather than being indebted, it has in fact supported the operations of the NIA over the years by allowing the Authority to operate from GRA premises across the country rent-free, including waivers on utilities.

“As part of the existing arrangements between the two agencies, NIA was allowed and had set up their desk offices at GRA premises nation-wide where they register individuals and issue them with the National Identification cards without paying rent and utilities to the GRA for years,” the statement noted.

The GRA also disclosed that both agencies are currently engaged in high-level discussions to resolve the matter amicably. It emphasized that no formal service agreement has been affirmed to support the NIA’s claim, pointing to “procedural breaches” that further complicate the legitimacy of the alleged debt.

“There are current high-level discussions between the two agencies in resolving the issues, particularly where GRA has identified some procedural breaches and cannot affirm the existence of a service agreement between the parties.”

Despite the dispute, the GRA reaffirmed its commitment to inter-agency collaboration, especially on critical national initiatives such as the integration of the Ghana Card into the tax system. It extended what it called a “collaborative hand” to the NIA, urging both parties to work toward strengthening their relationship.

“GRA acknowledges the importance of inter-agency collaboration in achieving national objectives… GRA extends collaborative hands to NIA while emphasizing the need to improve our cordial relationship and resolve matters amicably.”

The Authority concluded by assuring the public of its continued commitment to transparency, fairness, and service, and called for calm as efforts to resolve the misunderstanding progress behind the scenes.