The Ghana Revenue Authority, GRA, has stationed officers of its Enforcement team from the Excise Tax Stamp at various production houses of Bottled Water and Beverages in the capital.
This is to ensure that products without the excise tax stamps affixed do not enter the market. The excise tax stamp Act 2013, Act 873 requires excise stamps to be affixed on specified goods. These are goods that are manufactured or imported into the country. They include cigarettes and other tobacco products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and bottled water.
The second phase of the Enforcement Exercise is to control the importation and local production of excisable goods for revenue purposes, check illicit trading and counterfeiting, under-declaration of goods as well as protect the health of consumers.
According to Nathan Danquah, the leader of the GRA Taskforce said,” the enforcement team visited Guinness Ghana Limited, ABL, Pepsi, GIHOC Distilleries and the Achimota Shopping Center branch of Shoprite. At Guinness Ghana, almost all their end products were affixed with the tax stamps”.
The Corporate Relations Director of Guinness Ghana Limited, Gabriel Opoku Asare said his outfit is working towards full compliance of the laws.
The chief Revenue Officer, Kwabena Apau Anto said ,” the GRA will not rest until compliance is fully adhered to’. Mr anto added that,” the Authority has carried out an appreciable public education to raise awareness of the tax stamp policy,therefore anyone found culpable will face the full rigours of the law.”
story by Maryam Hassan
