GRA Seizes More Than 400 Vehicles in Greater Accra ... Within 4 Months

Mr Emmanuel Kofi Nti,CommissionerGeneral,GRA

The Ghana Revenue Authority has impounded more than 400 vehicles in the Greater Accra Region from January to April this year for failure by owners to pay the required duty.

Last year, about 754 cars were also seized by the GRA for the same reason.

According to Emmanuel Kofi Nti, Commissioner General of the GRA, an average of about 50 vehicles was impounded each month.

Ahead of a special operation to confiscate uncustomed vehicles in the country, Mr Nti said the Authority had gathered that there were many such vehicles and trucks driving on the roads.

An operation to impound vehicles from across the country which was announced last week was delayed to afford the public the opportunity to rectify any deficiencies they might have had with their vehicles.

"Uncustomed cars are used by their owners with impunity even though the requisite import duties and taxes on them had not been paid. Under normal circumstances the Customs Division carries out such operations without any prior announcement to the general public," he said.

He explained that the exercise was to create awareness that such special operation would be sustained to ensure all vehicles in the country were being used legally.

He advised all persons who own vehicles or trucks and other prospective buyers to contact the nearest Customs Offices for verification of the status of the vehicles before usage or purchase.

Leader of the national task force, Seidu Iddrisu, Deputy Commissioner in Charge of Preventive Unit of the Customs Division of the GRA, noted that some of the vehicles were smuggled through unapproved entry points from neighbouring West African countries.

"Some unscrupulous people have made it their modus operandi to take advantage of the ECOWAS free trade to smuggle cars from neighbouring countries, especially Togo, which has a free port, into Ghana.

He said just about 10 per cent of owners of the impounded vehicles were able to pay the duties on the cars.

In the previous weeks, he noted that similar operations in Kumasi, Cape Coast and Asankragwa resulted in the seizure of more than 80 vehicles, adding that the operation was now in full force.

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