Members of the Traders Advocacy Group Ghana (TAGG) has affirmed the statement made by His Excellency Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President of the Republic, that the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has been harassing businesses in its revenue mobilisation drive.
In a Press Release issued and signed by its leadership, TAGG indicated that the Vice President couldn’t have said it any better because his pronouncement is a true reflection of daily happenings in the business community.
“And the Statement Traders Advocacy Group Ghana (TAGG) has issue before.”
According to them, they find the statement released by the Ghana Revenue Authority Workers Union (GRAWU) of the GRA which seeks to rebut the assertion of the Vice President, “most unfortunate and misleading the trading public.”
TAGG stated that, “As members of the business community who have been victims of the incessant harassment by the GRA over the years in the name of collecting revenue for the State, we deem it necessary to put out the facts and chastise GRAWU for debunking what is the obvious truth. To help Ghanaians appreciate the level of frustration we continue to suffer at the hands of the officials of GRA.”
In stating their concerns, members of TAGG noted that, so many task forces are deployed to monitor traders when GRA could leverage on cutting-edge systems leading to the extortion and harassment by GRA officials, GRA has established a task force to intercept goods and cargo after they are cleared at the ports. This practice has, to say the least, been very nauseating to the cause of our members whilst Traders are asked to pay taxes higher than their capital.
They also averred that Traders are asked to pay taxes they don’t understand and GRA sits at shops to count the number of customers patronising their wares causing some customers not to visit them.
“The above practices which are only a few of the numerous unhealthy actions by the GRA are gradually pushing most of our members out of business. These, among others, are what, we believe, the authorities of GRA should take steps to address as a matter of urgency to save businesses from collapsing rather than going after the Vice President who was only stating the fact.”
They are imploring all relevant stakeholders including the GRA to adopt a business-friendly tax regime to rake in revenue for the State while stimulating the growth of businesses; expressing a firm belief that the Vice President will use his good offices to engage all stakeholders to address the issues, having rightly identified them.
By PROSPER AGBENYEGA