GRA Taskforce Clamp Down On Tax Stamp Defaulters

By Clement Adzei Boye

Apowa — The Special Revenue Taskforce of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) on Wednesday, impounded an articulated truck hired by Twellein Industries for flouting the tax stamp law, at its warehouse at Apowa, in the Ahanta West municipality of the Western Region.

The team impounded the SHACMAN articulated truck with the registration number GS 5899-18, after it had carted Rasta ChocoMalt, product of Twellein Industries at Ajen Kotoku in the Greater Accra Region, ready for offloading at the company's warehouse at Apowa.

The week-long exercise was part of a nationwide effort to enforce the tax stamp regime in the country.

Meanwhile, the team had ordered AdomNsa, a supermarket at Nkroful Junction in the Sekondi-Takoradi metropolis to pay with immediate effect GH¢128,700 as VAT for GH¢ 4.2million sales from January to June, this year, to the tax office or risk stiffer sanctions.

The leader of the GRA team, Emmanuel Spio-Abaidoo, expressed worry about the failure of Twellein Industries transporting the Rasta Choco Malt in an articulated- truck from Ajen Kotoku without the tax stamp on them.

Some products at the Apowa warehouse also carried no tax stamp and at the time the team visited, vans were loading products to retail point in the port city of Takoradi.

"Twellein Industries should know better. I have given the order for the impoundingof the articulated truck carrying the Rasta Choco Malt drink.The vehicle is already heading to our yard in Takoradi under escorts," Mr.Spio-Abaidoo said.

At the AdomNsa Supermarket at Nkroful junction, the taskforce found that the owner, apart from the failure to affix tax stamps on products, had failed to issue VAT receipts for goods sold.

He was also dissatisfied with the accountant, one Mr. Sam that the premises had no VAT booklets for all transactions, adding that, "You need to take the three per cent VAT and report accordingly since you make profits."

He added: "This is not about being Ghanaian, you have to do the right thing. Come to the Medium Tax Office, you are cheating GRA and the government. Again, you must close the warehouse so that products without the tax stamp don't go out. I am serious."

Drama ensued at the VOLTIC Warehouse, near the Air force Station in Takoradi, where a manager attempted to prevent a cameraman from taking footages of the enforcement exercise.

A similar scene was created at the Western Water and Bottling Limited where a supervisor, Ebo Hagan, became furious because the team queried some AQUA products labelled 'MD's'complements'.

Read Full Story