GRA impounds several uncustomed vehicles in Accra

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has embarked on an operation to seize cars that failed to meet duty and tax obligations.

The Authority had issued a communiqué in April to announce that it would embark on the operation as part of measures to ensure tax compliance of vehicle owners.

The exercise on Monday started at GRA’s Airport branch, where a good number of cars were impounded for non-compliance.

Deputy Commissioner of Customs Alhaji Iddrisu Seidu, who led the operation, explained that the impounded vehicles will be released to their owners only if they are able to produce the relevant documents to show all taxes have been paid on the vehicles.

He added that if the owners are not able to provide those documents within a period of time, the cars will eventually be auctioned.

“After 30 days, we convert the detention to seizure and thereafter we start processing it through ‘gazetting’ and other legal actions that may be taken to either auction it or any other way to dispose it off.”

He disclosed that majority of the victims did not know their cars were not ‘customed’ because they were bought from unsuspecting people who circumvent the tax laws.

“I will also add that more than 90% of those we arrested are not aware that their vehicles were not customed because this thing is normally done by some crooks, they do it and sell it to them and by the time we arrest them, they may not even find the one who sold the car to you.”

He, therefore, advised the public to always do due diligence when buying vehicles.

“That’s why we always urge that when you’re buying a car, immediately you arrive at a price you have all agreed, please contact the nearest custom office, we will look at both the car and then the documents.”

The exercise is one of many yet to come and it is part of government’s efforts to block leakages in domestic revenue mobilization.