GRA Storms Bolga Market

Some of the confiscated items

A senior officer at the Excise Unit of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), James Cudjoe, has charged wholesalers, distributors and retailers to insist on stocking and selling only goods that have excise tax stamps as directed by the Customs Act, 2015.

In his view, this would ensure that importers and manufacturers of excisable products pay their excise tax on all products before bringing them to the market.

“Everyone has a role to play in ensuring that the excise tax stamp policy succeeds. If the importers and manufacturers fail to comply and they bring the products and you receive into your shop or warehouse, the goods will be seized if Ghana Revenue Authority finds out and the retailer or distributor will lose,” Mr. Cudjoe stated.  

He gave the advice in an interview with journalists in Bolgatanga after a taskforce from the GRA visited the Bolgatanga Municipality to inspect and seize excisable goods without the excise tax stamp, as directed in Sections 124 and 125 of the Customs Act, 2015 (Act 891).

The taskforce had earlier carried out similar operations in the Bawku and Kassena-Nankana Municipalities to seize products without the excise tax stamps affixed on them.

Due to their closeness to border towns, the Bawku and Navrongo townships end up having a lot of smuggled goods on their market.

After the operation at the three places, Mr. Cudjoe was impressed that about 95 per cent of the products inspected had the excise tax stamps.

He was very hopeful that if importers and manufacturers will be sincere to the country, all products that will be inspected on the next operation will be stamped.

“The problem is that not everyone will comply fully, it’s not only in Bolgatanga; all over Ghana, people want to dodge tax and that is why we all have to be vigilant and insist on buying only stamped products.” Mr. Cudjoe said. 

The excise tax stamp policy was introduced in 2018 as a measure by the government of Ghana through the GRA to block tax leakages and also control the entrance of counterfeit products onto the Ghanaian market.

Excisable items under this policy include bottled water, carbonated soft drinks, malt drink, stout, beer, wines, hard liquor (spirits), cigarettes and other tobacco products.

FROM Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Bolgatanga

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