We’ll continue to pursue companies evading taxes - GRA

The Ghana Revenue Authority, GRA, says it will continue to pursue companies that continue to evade taxes.

The assurance follows an exercise which led to the closing down of Hippo Transportation Company in Tema for defaulting in custom duties expected to be paid on their goods at the warehouses for the past three years.

A second company, Sentuo Steel Company, which owed 9.2 million cedis, however issued a cheque to defray the debt.

Principal Revenue Officer at GRA, Magnus Boateng, told Citi Business News the action will be replicated across other parts of the country.

“Several efforts have been made to retrieve that amount. We have written to them, several demand notices and reminders. There have been meetings which they scheduled and gave their own arrangements, which the Commissioner General agrees. But at a point in time they defaulted so we ended up closing the place down when the Commissioner General gave us the warrant to do that.”

Ghana’s revenue collection domestically has been low for years not only because the tax net has not been widened to cover those in the informal sector, but also because some of those in the formal sector evade the taxes or underpay.

It is against this background that the GRA occasionally carries out this enforcement and compliance exercise. Read Full Story