Some GRA officials with Police personnel carrying out the exercise
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) on Friday, 4 May 2018, stormed the Kumasi city mall, Ababio Express, among other shopping malls in the city and ordered removal of excisable products without the new tax stamps from point of sales.
The exercise was part of GRA's steps to clamp down on exporters and manufacturers who have failed to affixed the new tax stamp on their excisable products before making them available on the market.
It was also to ensure full compliance of the policy.
During the inspection, some imported and locally manufactured products including cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic carbonated beverages and other excisable products were on the point of sale without the new tax stamp affixed to them.
The GRA team also visited Obibini Blackman distilleries but workers of the company bolted upon seeing the GRA officials.
The exercise was led by Mr Sam Akwasi Yerenkyi, chairman of the Tax Stamp Implementation Committee who doubles as the technical adviser to the Commissioner- General of the GRA.
Mr Yerenkyi said the exercise conducted was to serve as a last warning, adding that a more vigorous enforcement will be conducted at the end of the month.
He said the Authority will confiscate all excisable products on market without the new tax stamp affixed on them.
