GRA harassment: Abossey Okai spare parts dealers declare strike on October 18

The Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association, representing second-hand car parts dealerships in the Greater Accra Region, has announced its intention to initiate a sit-down strike on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, in response to alleged harassment by officials from the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

The GRA enforcement team has been deploying officers to the shops and warehouses of association members in the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions.

This action comes as a result of the members of the association's failure to implement the electronic tax collection system, preventing the GRA from accessing their financial data.

The GRA introduced the Electronic VAT system on October 1, 2022, in an effort to curb revenue leaks and verify the actual income of businesses.

According to Joseph Annan, the Accra Area Enforcement Manager, enforcement has become necessary after multiple unsuccessful attempts to persuade the association members to comply with the law.

Takyi Addo, the association's spokesperson, condemned the GRA's compliance exercise, calling it an affront to its members.

He announced the association's strike during an interview on the Ghana Yensom morning show on Accra 100.5 FM on Monday, October 16, 2023.

Addo explained that the strike, set for Wednesday, is intended to express the association's displeasure with the GRA's compliance exercise, which is causing disruptions to its members' businesses across the country.

He pointed out that the exercise portrays the members as illicit business people, even though they are engaged in lawful activities.

"After the sit-down strike, the association intends to ban all GRA officials from entering its members' shops until the GRA issues an official statement to completely halt the exercise," he warned.

The association is not seeking the suspension of the exercise but its full termination, he noted.

Addo emphasised that they want to convey that they are legitimate business people and do not engage in illicit activities.