The Ghana Revenue Authority, GRA has banned three shipping company from operating in Ghana.
The companies were allegedly caught in acts of diversion of re-exportation goods at the Akanu Boarder post in the Volta region.
The three Shipping companies are; Springfield Shipping Company Ltd, Hendrick Shipping Company Ltd, Christerl Shipping Company Ltd.
According to the Revenue Authority, the companies diverted goods supposed to be re-exported through Akanu to Togo back to Ghana with the collusion of some GRA officers. The diversion led to a revenue loss of USD$3, 551,559.68.
In a statement from the GRA sighted by Ghanatalksbusiness.com, advanced that the three companies have been blocked from transacting business on the Ghana Customs Management System (GCNS).
Also, they have been handed over to EOCO for further investigations while serious efforts are being made to retrieve the revenue.
The statement further stated that the officers who colluded with the companies have also been interdicted pending further investigations.
GRA to get tough on taxpayers
In a related development,the GRA with support from the Finance Ministry has said it will soon name, shame and also prosecute tax evaders especially those in the informal sector.
The Authority a few weeks ago launched the 2018 National Tax Campaign to help the voluntary tax payment, especially from the informal sector.
Currently, the informal sector contributes only two percent of the total taxes paid in Ghana though 6 million people have been captured in the tax net, only 1.5 million people pay taxes regularly mostly from the formal sector.
Speaking at the launch of the 2018 National Tax Campaign, Deputy Finance Minister, Abena Osei Asare charged the Ghana Revenue Authority to develop stringent measures to broaden the tax net.
“Currently as we speak, we have about 6 million people who are supposed to be on the tax net but we have only 1.5 people paying taxes regularly and on this the informal sector contributes just 200 thousands of the 1.5 million, this gap must be bridged at all cost so we must do everything possible to change this situation is we to make any headway to develop Ghana. For GRA in as much as we encourage the informal sector to contribute their quota, GRA must also make paying taxes easier.”
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