Tension is mounting at the Kumasi Central Market (KCM) over tax rate being proposed to the cloth sellers by officers of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in Kumasi.
The enraged cloth sellers have, therefore, vowed to resist the new rate if nothing is done to reduce it to an acceptable limit. Madam Abena Tiaa, secretary to the Cloth Sellers Association (CSA), who disclosed their intentions to the Chronicle in an interview, said the regional IRS figures computed as their yearly income were without basis.
A tax allocation sheet shown to Chronicle declared that cloth sellers in small shops have been asked to pay between ?1 million and ?1.5 million each as tax for the year. The cloth sellers revealed that as a result of this unrealistic rate they have resolved to close down their stores or run away when they see the IRS officers.
The cloth sellers are also worried about the ?400 daily tax collected by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) in addition to payments for store licenses. According to the association's secretary, they reported their woes to the former Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr.
Samuel Nuamah Donkor, but no action was taken to address the situation. When the Ashanti Regional Assistant Commissioner of the IRS, Mr. T. E. Adeyiga, was contacted, he confirmed the traders' claim but said the figure was provisional, adding that if the traders could prepare their yearly accounts to the IRS, he would be willing to adjust the figure lower. When he was asked whether the traders were aware of that provisional figures, he (IRS boss) admitted lack of education on their part.
He promised that he would be meeting the traders along with the Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon. S. K. Boafo, for an amicable settlement of the matter
