The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has sealed off the offices of three companies during a distress action to compel them to fulfil their tax obligations to the state.
The companies are ACI Construction, a subsidiary of the Agams Group of Companies, which owes the state over GH¢14.3 million in taxes; Eagle Star Enterprise Limited, an engineering and construction firm, which is indebted to the tune of GH¢604,175.00 and Logistics Supplies Services Limited, which owes GH¢460,779.00.
A fourth company, the National Communications Backbone Company (NCBC), a firm set up by Vodafone Ghana Limited to provide the bandwidth needs of Internet Service Providers (ISP) and offer other technology services, said to owe over GH¢30 million in taxes, made arrangement with the tax authorities to pay.
Briefing the media, Henry Sam, the Coordinator of the Special Revenue Mobilisation Taskforce, said the exercises were geared towards ensuring full compliance with the provisions of the tax laws and to shore up tax revenue to meet the 2017 target of GH¢34 billion.
He said the Special Revenue Mobilisation Task Force, in collaboration with the Tax Office, recovered tax revenue amounting to over GH?66.3 million between January 2017 and June 2017.
He said the taskforce had earmarked a list of 14 delinquent taxpayers, who owed the state over GH?63 million for distress action.
He said the affected tax defaulters are located in Accra and Kumasi, adding that the action would be sustained across the country throughout the year and beyond.
Mr Sam explained that the action was the last tool of mobilisation that the GRA could use to collect monies owed to it, adding that the companies would be given an ultimatum to pay and if they fail, the Authority would take custody of their assets and sell them to defray the taxes owed.
Mr Sam urged taxpayers to voluntarily comply with the tax laws by filling all tax returns, issue VAT invoices for taxable supplies and effect payment of all relevant taxes on or before the due date to avoid embarrassment.
–GNA