The National Identification Authority (NIA) has suspended the Ghana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) access to its Identity Verification System Platform (IVSP), effective Friday, August 1, 2025, following the GRA’s failure to settle a long-standing debt of GH¢376.7 million.
The move, described by the NIA as a last resort, comes after months of repeated reminders and warnings issued to the GRA, none of which elicited a response or any commitment to repayment.
In a letter dated July 29, 2025, the NIA confirmed the suspension, citing financial strain and a breach of agreement.
Repeated warnings ignored
The NIA revealed that it had issued several notices to the GRA, including a final demand on April 29 and a follow-up warning on July 15, but received no formal reply or attempt at resolution.
“This action has been necessitated by GRA’s failure and/or refusal to make good its indebtedness to NIA for its use of the said IVSP notwithstanding prior notice and ample opportunity for settlement,” the letter signed by Acting Executive Secretary of the NIA, Wisdom Yayra Koku Deku, said.
The NIA said GRA’s continued silence and inaction amount to a serious violation of their service agreement, leaving the NIA with no choice but to cut off access.
System strained, sustainability threatened
The suspension is expected to have ripple effects across several state agencies that rely on the Identity Verification System for operations, including tax identification, compliance monitoring, and service authentication.
According to the NIA, the GRA’s indebtedness has placed an unsustainable financial burden on the Authority, undermining its ability to maintain the National Identification System.
This system is central to Ghana’s e-governance efforts and is widely used by public and private institutions for secure digital identity verification.
“It is important to note that GRA’s persistent failure to honour its obligations is seriously crippling the operations of the NIA, threatening the sustainability of the National Identification System upon which GRA and many others depend,” Mr. Deku emphasised.
Service to resume only after full payment
The NIA made it clear that it will not restore the GRA’s access to the IVSP until the full amount is paid and all outstanding issues raised in previous communications are addressed.
This development raises urgent questions about inter-agency coordination and financial discipline within government institutions.
It also casts doubt on the operational continuity of key services that rely on digital identity verification to function.
