The Volta Regional taskforce of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has confiscated several alcoholic and carbonated beverages without tax stamps in some shops in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region.
Owners of the shops were also invited to the Hohoe divisional police command to assist in investigations on manufacturers of the products.
The taskforce was embarking on inspection to ensure that traders in the area have fully complied with the excise tax stamp policy.
The introduction of the stamp is expected to provide for an effective tax system which will stop counterfeiting and smuggling.
Though most of the wholesale and retail shops had stamps affixed on many of the specified excisable goods that they sold, they had in stock products without stamps as well. In one of the shops, the team seized more than 50 cartons of Castle Bridge gin which had fake stamps.
Principal Revenue Officer in charge of the Volta Regional Taskforce, Jennifer Dzeble said tax stamps are not only to check under declaration of revenue but also to ensure that goods consumed by the public are of good quality. She said the confiscated goods will be used to track the manufacturers for prosecution.
Madam Dzeble urged wholesalers and retailers to ensure that excise tax stamps are fixed on beverages and carbonated drinks before they purchase them.
