Journalist to sue GRA over illegal tax Deductions

A journalist and Editor with ‘The New Independent’ newspaper, Selorm Kofi Adzivor is set to drag the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to court over illegal tax collections in the country.

The purpose of the legal action is to seek answers from the Commissioner-General, Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah and Deputy Commissioner in Charge of Customs Division of the Authority on a purported illegalities in tax collections by some officers.

The young Journalist in an interview with the media in Accra exposed of how a policy, introduced in 2019 by the Custom’s Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority is rather making some individual Custom officers along the Eastern Corridor rich instead of the policy raking in more revenue for national development.

The import duty tax was introduced by the Ghana Revenue Authority to curb smuggling, bribery and corruption along the Eastern Corridor of the country, specifically the Volta Region.

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Meanwhile the vociferous young Journalist suggests it’s a move to enrich some few while putting huge tax liability on the larger populace.

Kofi Adzivor maintains despite calls by tax experts and some concern Ghanaians for the rather obnoxious policy to be reversed, the GRA remains adamant over the matter.

“The policy must be reversed because it’s illegal and doesn’t serve any meaningful purpose”

The policy allows all trucks, cargos and all manner of loading vehicles to pay peanuts over goods they convey into the country through that part of the country.

He revealed that, this has reduced traffic through the Tema and Takoradi ports suggesting that, ” if the policy is reversed and right duties are paid, government would get more money for development” He said.

“These cargo vehicles no matter thier sizes and irrespective of their contents, are allowed to pay very small amount of money while duty receipts are issued to cover the goods” he again said and went ahead to add that, “this is unfair and action must be taken with immediate effect”

He therefore has said he shall drag the Ghana Revenue Authority to Court if they fail to reverse the policy after fourteen (14) days.