Professor Emeritus Stephen Adei, former Board Chairman of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), has vowed to embark on a one-man demonstration if the contract to manage Ghana’s domestic tax mobilization is awarded to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) from India.
Adei described the deal as “immoral, unpatriotic, and evil” and urged the government to stop it, citing evidence that a Ghanaian company, Axon Information Systems, came out on top in the competitive bidding process.
He accused the Commissioner General of GRA, Julie Essiam, of ignoring the board and due process to award the contract to TCS, despite their higher cost and lower local content. Adei alleged that Essiam has a history of promoting foreign companies over local ones and questioned her appointment as CG, given her lack of direct experience in taxation.
He expressed surprise that Essiam was chosen to execute the TCS deal, which he believes will lead to high corruption rates and harm Ghana’s fiscal policy. Adei called on Ghanaians to speak out against the contract and support local entities, highlighting the competence of Axon Information Systems, which currently manages Ghana’s tax mobilization.
He noted that other local companies, such as Persol and Atos, also have the capacity to deliver on the contract, and questioned the government’s preference for a foreign company with a questionable solution. Adei revealed that TCS’s solution has been deployed unsuccessfully in four African countries and that the company has been fined $194 million in the US for misappropriating trade secrets.
He emphasized that the contract will harm Ghana’s revenue collection and fiscal policy, and urged the government to prioritize local content and competence. Adei’s strong stance has been met with support from GRA workers, who have written to Essiam raising concerns about the contract’s cost and impact on workers.
