By Jibril Abdul Mumuni
Accra, Sept. 23, GNA – Ghana’s telecommunications sector contributed approximately GH¢15 billion in taxes, levies, regulatory fees and related payments to the national purse in 2025, Mr Francis Timore Boi, a tax analyst and member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, Ghana, has said.
The sector’s contribution represented about 6.8 per cent of Ghana’s total domestic revenue of GH¢223 billion collected during the period, making telecommunications one of the country’s most significant contributors to government revenue.
Speaking at a forum on “Digital Infrastructure and Nation Building: Assessing Tax Contributions, Fiscal Impact, and the Role of Policy Incentives in Ghana’s Telecom Growth Story”, organised by Deloitte Ghana and the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications in Accra, Mr Boi said the industry’s role extended far beyond voice and internet services.
He noted that telecommunications had become an essential service supporting communication, financial inclusion, business operations and access to digital technologies.
“The telecom sector we are discussing goes beyond just phones and internet. It affects almost our livelihood,” he said, stressing that digital connectivity was now a necessity rather than a luxury.
Breaking down the GH¢15 billion contribution, Mr Boi said corporate income taxes paid directly by telecom operators amounted to about GH¢4.18 billion, representing the largest single component of the sector’s tax payments.
He said telecom companies also made substantial contributions through statutory levies and regulatory payments, including remittances to sector regulators and development funds.
According to him, 2.3 per cent of every cedi generated from telecommunications services is paid to regulators and industry development initiatives, including the National Communications Authority and the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC).
The presentation further showed that the industry contributed about GH¢1.67 billion through VAT-related funds and levies, GH¢1.48 billion through withholding taxes collected within its supply chain, GH¢1 billion in Communication Service Tax, and about GH¢600 million in import duties on telecommunications equipment.
Although the Electronic Transfer Levy (E-Levy) was abolished in May 2025, telecom operators collected approximately GH¢840 million from the levy before its removal.
Mr Boi said the sector’s tax performance had improved significantly over recent years, with overall contributions rising from about GH¢6 billion in 2022 to GH¢15 billion in 2025.
He attributed the increase to growing adoption of digital services, mobile money usage and continued investments in network infrastructure.
According to him, telecom operators invested more than GH¢5 billion in network expansion and modernisation in 2025 alone, helping to broaden connectivity and enhance service quality across the country.
The industry, he said, had achieved near-universal network coverage, with about 99 per cent population coverage for 2G services and 99.4 per cent coverage for 3G connectivity.
Despite these achievements, he called for a balanced tax regime that would enable the industry to continue investing in critical digital infrastructure while contributing to government revenue.
“We are not really asking that this is a critical sector and therefore should not be taxed. There is a balance, the right balance that we are looking for,” he stated.
He noted that telecom operators faced rising operational costs, particularly energy expenses.
Significant investments are required for the transition to next-generation technologies such as G59, he said.
GNA
Reporter: Jibril Abdul Mumuni
Email: [email protected]
Edited by Samuel Osei-Frempong