Chief Revenue Officer, Kwabena Apau Awua Anto seizes the tax stamps
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has threatened to sue Accra Breweries Ltd (ABL) over “illegal” tax stamps found in one of its warehouses at Gbawe in Accra.
A team comprising the Excise Unit and the GRA Task Force on Tuesday, November 6 inspected retail centers to ensure compliance with excise tax stamp policy in the capital.
At the Gbawe warehouse of ABL, the team discovered that tons of crates of Club Beer and Voltic Mineral Water, among other beverages, which did not have the tax stamps affixed on them, were being loaded onto trucks for distribution.
The officials acted swiftly to confiscate the products and engaged the management in a dialogue.
In an attempt to prove innocence, a staff at the center entered one of the offices and came out with more than four big rolls of sealed tax stamps.
Chief Revenue Officer, Kwabena Apau Awua Anto, who was obviously unhappy with the development, warned that they would take the matter up at the head office.
He disclosed that “they [Accra Brewery] don’t have any right to supply stamps for anybody. GRA is the only state institution mandated to supply the stamps.”
He said that “Accra Brewery has no authority to supply tax stamps to anybody and that is why we have seized the stamps. We will take it up. It’s a serious offence!”
“Any retailer, distributor or wholesaler with any of the affected stocks that were before the start of the programme can apply for the stamps,” he said, adding that “no company is allowed to transfer stamps to anybody.”
Companies and several organizations have been applying for the stamps since March and the GRA has been providing same.
The Authority takes inventory of the products of the organisations and supplies tax stamps in equal measure to be affixed on them.
By Nii Adjei Mensahfio