Stop harassing businesses in the name of tax compliance – IEAG

The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has expressed anger with the management of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) for harassing businesses in the name of tax compliance.

The IEAG accused the GRA of using ‘marfiaran’ tactics to harass businesses under the guise of tax compliance and revenue mobilisation.

“This unguided action adopted by the GRA of imposing contentious back tax claims on businesses in the country without due diligence should be cut short before it gets out of control,” IEAG’s Executive Secretary, Mr Samson Asaki Awingobit, said in a statement dated Tuesday, 15 March 2023.

His comment comes on the back of claims by a businessman and MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong that the GRA was unnecessarily coming after his businesses for no reason.

The IEAG wants the GRA to stop harassing businesses and rather channel such energy into helping sustain businesses that are already being crippled with draconian taxes.

Below is the full statement:

GRA MUST STOP THE UNNECESSARY HARASSMENT OF BUSINESSES UNDER THE GUISE OF REVENUE MOBILIZATION THROUGH BACK TAX CLAIM

The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana IEAG has been taken aback by recent actions of the Ghana Revenue Authority GRA in using marfiaran tactics under the guise of tax compliance and revenue mobilisation.

This unguided action adopted by the GRA of imposing contentious back tax claims to businesses in the country without due diligence should be cut short before it gets out of control.

The latest to fall victim to these antics of the GRA is businessman cum politician, Ken Agyapong who has spoken vehemently against what he said was a deliberate attempt by GRA to collapse his business after being issued with a similarly contentious claim of back taxes.

We are not surprised at the outburst from the Assin North lawmaker, because that has been the general feeling among business owners and businesses who our checks indicate that are being hounded out of business by these back tax claims by the GRA.

If we can recall, a similar back tax claim of 773 million dollars issued against MTN by the Ghana Revenue Authority had to be withdrawn after it became contentious.

Multinational companies such as Goldfields, Tullow Oil and Kosmos Energy have all disputed similar back tax claims made against them by the Authority.

The GRA must not under the guise of Revenue mobilisation and meeting Revenue targets make tax claims that will rather cripple already struggling businesses in the country.

It is worth noting that a recent assessment made by the GRA of meeting its target in the first 2 months of 2023 can best be described as pre-ejaculation, considering the fact that it is illogical to use revenue mobilised within the first two months of a calendar year to assess yourself of being in a pole position to meet your yearly target.

We as an association are solidly behind the likes of Hon. Kennedy Agyapong who have been bold to voice out these daylight thievery and machinations being executed by the GRA.

We would like to advise the acting Commissioner of the Ghana Revenue Authority who we know is doing all he can to attract the president’s attention for him (the president) to confirm his appointment, to rather channel such energy into helping sustain businesses who are already being crippled with draconian taxes.