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Tag: Joseph Annan

  • Chinese nationals release dogs on GRA tax officers at quarry site

    Some Chinese nationals working at quarry sites in Kasoa in the Central region on Thursday, December, 8, 2022 released dogs on the Tax Enforcement Unit of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

    The GRA officials were on an exercise to enforce tax compliance as part of measures to improve revenue collection in the country.

    Speaking to journalists, the Head of Enforcement at the GRA, in charge of Accra Central, Joseph Annan said the Chinese nationals released the dogs immediately they saw the Tax Enforcement Unit on the site.

    “We experienced some nasty encounter today. Dogs were released on us but thanks to our security officers in the name of the preventive staff”, Mr. Annan said, adding that the case will be handed over to the Attorney General’s Department.

    “The case will be investigated and then the docket will be completed and handed over to our legal unit for possible prosecution”, he stressed.

    Providing some details, Mr. Annan said the Tax Enforcement Unit is a special group trained to handle hostile situations, hence the team was able to calm the dogs.

    “They were able to quell the situation. There are a lot of Chinese nationals operating here without paying the VAT, and when we come to enforce the law, they open their dogs. We will deal with them for trying to push us back”.

    The quarry companies visited by the team are Executive Quarry, Pilot Stone Quarry, Tonnisco Quarry and Hao Xin Quarry.

    “They are all Chinese companies operating in Ghana without paying the VAT”, Mr. Annan said.

    Before the exercise, the team undertook an earlier operation in the Shai-Osudoku Municipality where some quarry companies were shut down for not paying taxes.

    The quarry companies included Top Stone Quarry, Uniafrika Quarry, Massaike and Sabbagh Ltd.

    The rest are Derby Quarry, Orient Quarry, and Twin Rock Quarry.

    Mr. Annan announced that the GRA will turn its attention to operators in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry to ensure that the right taxes are paid during the festive season.

    According to the GRA, there are close to 100 grand events slated for December which will be keenly monitored by the authority for tax compliance.

    Source: myjoyonline

  • Tax non-compliance: Necessary laws will be enforced to the fullest – GRA

    The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has said it will continue to pursue organizations and institutions that evade taxes across the nation in accordance with its mandate.

    According to Joseph Annan, the Authority’s Area Enforcement Manager, the recent closure of China Mall should serve as a warning to the public about the Authority’s willingness to enforce its rules.

    In a conversation with journalists, Mr. Annan stated that organizations that do not pay their taxes will face required repercussions.

    “The signal we want to send to the public is that this time around, we are going to enforce the tax laws to the fullest. We have engaged them over months yet, it has always been business as usual, so we are not going to relent on any of the tax laws,” he noted.

    Meanwhile, on Monday, October 10, the GRA undertook a special operation that saw the closure of a number of outlets and businesses over non-compliance with Ghana’s electronic VAT system.

  • Fear of exposure preventing shops from using E-VAT system – GRA

    According to the Ghana Revenue Authority, some businesses are refusing to follow its new instruction to use the Electronic VAT system since doing so would make them vulnerable.

    According to Joseph Annan, the Ghana Revenue Authorities’s Accra Area Enforcement Manager, the E-VAT system enables the authority to closely track the sales of these businesses.

    However, the stores do not wish to follow the rules in order to avoid paying taxes or paying too little.

    “It exposes them because what you sell will definitely hit our system so that you will be doing your thing in the shop, but we can be monitored electronically. And as you know, many of them don’t declare all their sales so the electronic VAT system will help us get the right taxes from them,” he told myjoyonline.com when his team closed down China Mall on October 10, 2022.

    The Electronic VAT system was launched on October 1, 2022, by the Ghana Revenue Authority as a means to ensure tax compliance and block revenue loopholes.

    However, the GRA has noted that some shops do not want to comply with the new development even after a week of its launch.

    “We shall not rest until the right thing is done, because as I always say, we don’t feel comfortable going around closing shops and doing all these operations. But the citizens have paid us to work and so we shall ensure that the right thing is done,” Joseph Annan stated.

    The Ghana Revenue Authority has closed down all branches of China Mall after it failed to adopt the usage of the E-VAT system.

  • China Mall closed over failure to fix E-VAT system – GRA

    Through its enforcement division, the Ghana Revenue Authority has shut down all China Mall locations.

    The team claimed that the shop’s failure to improve its electronic VAT collecting system was the reason for the move.

    GRA in recent times has locked up shops that have refused to comply with issuing VAT invoices and fixing e-VAT systems which were launched on October 1, 2022, in a bid to reduce tax leakages.

    According to myjoyonline.com, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) locked the Chinese retail shop, China Mall, and its warehouses on the Spintex Road and Ashaiman in the Greater Accra region and stated that the exercise will extend to all its branches.

    The Accra Area Enforcement Manager of the GRA, Joseph Annan, said: “This is just for them to fix their system for the electronic VAT. We have engaged them on several occasions to get this simple system fixed. The place shall be sealed and locked until they comply with the law.

    “This is part of the enforcement exercise which we are doing at all China Mall branches,” he is quoted by myjoyonline.com.

    Reports also suggest that before the GRA’s officials got to the premises, the managers of the mall got a hint and closed the shop.

    However, the GRA said all branches of the China Mall will be closed until its management takes the necessary actions.

  • Do the right thing else we’ll come after you – GRA warns tax defaulters

    The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has vowed to clamp down on entities that fail to comply with tax obligations.

    This comes after six companies were shut down on Friday for tax evasion offences as part of efforts by the GRA to boost revenue mobilization.

    Speaking to the media after the closure of the facilities, the Enforcement Manager of GRA, Joseph Annan urged firms evading taxes to desist from the act else they will face the consequences.

    “We will always be on the field. We will knock on doors but if you run today, you may not run forever because we will surely knock on your door. Companies must do the right thing by paying all their taxes”, he advised.

    The Domestic Tax Revenue Division of the GRA, shut down operations of the UnderBridge event Centre located in East Legon for failing to register for Value Added Tax (VAT).

    This action was part of moves by the authority to check entities failing to honour their tax obligations, leading to loss of revenue to the state.

    Five other firms including four cold stores at Tema and a beverage distribution company; Josh Nartey ventures were also closed.

    The GRA says the offences of these companies include the non-registration of Value Added Tax (VAT) and the non-issuance of invoices.

    ”We got intel that they were not registered. We also did our own background checks and confirmed it.”

    ”We have locked up the place. They must do the needful by registering, and then we look at the sanctions for non-registration, after which we will open up the place”, Mr. Annan said.

    He added that, the action by the firms contributes to revenue loss to the state.