The Ghana Union of Traders Association, GUTA, has sent a strong warning to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to stop harassing and intimidating their members in day-to-day activities. Failure to do so, GUTA will match GRA boot for boot to demand their rights.
Speaking at the press conference today held at the union headquarters in Accra, the president of GUTA DR. Joseph Obeng said it has come to their notice with great concern about the activities of the GRA which has formed various task forces that rampantly intercept released cargos after the cargos have passed through all clearing processes and procedures at the port in the name of enforcing tax compliance as if they don’t even trust their own systems of clearance at the port, this happens more to the cargos going to the Ashanti region.
It could be recalled that a few days ago, the Ashanti region branch organized a press conference on this constant harassment and intimidation of traders in the region by GRA officers after their cargos had passed through due clearing processes at the port and released to them.
According to Dr. Obeng GRA can not assign any cogent reason for the harassment of the traders in the Ashanti region apart from their usual flimsy explanation that the Ashanti region contributes only about 12% to the national revenue.
He said the 12% tax contribution from the Ashanti region is commensurate with the business activities in the region, as most of the corporate entities with branches in Ashanti and other regions pay their taxes in the national capital, Accra, as well as payment of import duty.
“What we want the GRA to know is that GUTA has no problem at all if GRA does its due diligence at the port and collects the necessary by tax due it before the cargos are released. However, we will no longer tolerate such act of intercepting our cargos after leaving the port.”
Source: Oyerepafmonline.com/Bernard K Dadzie
