Tax protest: GUTA hints closure of shops in Accra over GRA’s new system

President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Joseph Obeng, has dropped a hint concerning the closure of shops in Accra to protest the unfair implementation of tax measures by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). This development comes after traders in parts of the central business district of Adum in Kumasi locked up their shops in protest against rising taxation on their goods. The traders attributed the action to the pressure to honour payment of income tax, high cost of store rentals and charges from the metropolitan assembly. They have argued that the cumulative taxes are crippling their businesses and have vowed to sustain the action until the GRA withdraws their personnel stationed at shops to record sales of products for tax purposes. Reacting to the protest on Atinka FM’s AM Drive with host Kaakyire Ofori Ayim, President for the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Joseph Obeng described the compulsory implementation of the new electronic platform by GRA as imbalanced. He added that what GRA has done to the VAT system makes compliance very difficult. According to Joseph Obeng, the Greater Accra Regional Branch of GUTA will meet to take the necessary steps to protest GRA’s unfairness. “The capital of most traders have depleted over 50%. The value of our monies has reduced. You have a system that does not ensure fairness, you have a system that does not ensure equity, you have a system that runs trade concurrently in the same market that we have the standard rate that one pays 90.25 percent and then we have VAT rate of four percent and then we have those who do not pay the VAT at all and they are all legitimate. What system is this? We will make a definite statement come Tuesday and everyone will know the way forward,” GUTA President Joseph Obeng told Kaakyire Ofori Ayim.

President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Joseph Obeng, has dropped a hint concerning the closure of shops in Accra to protest the unfair implementation of tax measures by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). This development comes after traders in parts of the central business district of Adum in Kumasi locked up their shops in protest against rising taxation on their goods. The traders attributed the action to the pressure to honour payment of income tax, high cost of store rentals and charges from the metropolitan assembly. They have argued that the cumulative taxes are crippling their businesses and have vowed to sustain the action until the GRA withdraws their personnel stationed at shops to record sales of products for tax purposes. Reacting to the protest on Atinka FM’s AM Drive with host Kaakyire Ofori Ayim, President for the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Joseph Obeng described the compulsory implementation of the new electronic platform by GRA as imbalanced. He added that what GRA has done to the VAT system makes compliance very difficult. According to Joseph Obeng, the Greater Accra Regional Branch of GUTA will meet to take the necessary steps to protest GRA’s unfairness. “The capital of most traders have depleted over 50%. The value of our monies has reduced. You have a system that does not ensure fairness, you have a system that does not ensure equity, you have a system that runs trade concurrently in the same market that we have the standard rate that one pays 90.25 percent and then we have VAT rate of four percent and then we have those who do not pay the VAT at all and they are all legitimate. What system is this? We will make a definite statement come Tuesday and everyone will know the way forward,” GUTA President Joseph Obeng told Kaakyire Ofori Ayim.