Tech Meets Tax: SML Ghana Takes Centre Stage with Tax Leak Solutions at National Dialogue

Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd. (SML) participated in the National Dialogue on Tackling Tax Revenue Leakages in Ghana, held on Monday, May 19, 2025, at the Kofi Ohene-Konadu Auditorium, University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).

The event, organized by the Faculty of Accounting and Finance, brought together stakeholders from government, academia, industry, and civil society to explore practical solutions to Ghana’s tax compliance challenges.

The dialogue was chaired by His Royal Majesty King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, Ga Mantse, with former President John Agyekum Kufuor serving as Guest of Honour. Distinguished guests included Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam, Former Minister of Finance and Elsie Appau, Esq., Deputy Commissioner at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

Others include Professor John M.K. Mawutor, Vice Chancellor of UPSA; Professor Isaac Boadi, Dean of the Faculty of Accounting and Finance; and Dr. Eric Boachie Yiadom, Financial Economist and Senior Lecturer at UPSA.

Representing SML, Dr. Yaa Serwaa Sarpong, Director of Support Services, delivered a presentation detailing the company’s contributions to strengthening revenue assurance through the deployment of digital audit solutions and data analytics.

“SML was founded on the belief that safeguarding national revenue requires more than manual oversight—it demands a transformative approach powered by real-time data, technology, and integrity,” Dr. Sarpong said.

“From the outset, we committed to building systems that ensure transparency and accountability across key sectors of the economy.”

She noted that SML’s digital monitoring platform, which integrates data from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), National Petroleum Authority (NPA), and depot operators, has led to substantial improvements in tax reporting within the downstream petroleum sector.

Before SML’s intervention, reported fuel volumes hovered around 208 million litres per month. Today, that figure has more than doubled to over 450 million litres monthly. Between May 2020 and December 2024, this improvement alone helped recover more than GH¢20 billion in additional tax revenue.

Dr. Sarpong also noted that SML has an expanded mandate to monitor upstream petroleum and solid minerals, pending approval for deployment.

“What sets SML apart is our risk-reward business model, which is a fully self-financed structure. We make the upfront investment—the government bears no financial risk. It’s a performance-based structure aligned with results,” she said.

Looking ahead, Dr. Sarpong emphasized SML’s readiness to scale its expertise across Africa, while highlighting its innovations for the upstream and solid minerals segments.

This comes as the African continent loses an estimated US$90 billion annually to illicit financial flows.

“With our proven track record and proprietary tools, SML is well-positioned to support nations seeking to protect their natural resource revenues and enhance domestic mobilization,” she said.

SML’s participation in the National Dialogue reflects its ongoing commitment to innovation, transparency, and supporting national development through smart revenue assurance solutions.