The taskforce of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) recently confiscated alcoholic beverages and carbonated drinks from some retail shops and warehouses in the Kumasi Metropolis.
The consumable products were seized during a special enforcement and compliance exercise by the tax authority for being made available for sale without the tax stamp affixed on them.
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They included alcoholic wines, energy drinks, canned soft drinks and canned hard liquor drinks, majority of which were imported into the country.
Some of the retail shops and points which had their products seized included the Game Stores and Shoprite at the Kumasi City Mall, as well as a warehouses belonging to the Proconcession (Ghana) Limited at Adum.
Leader of the taskforce, Spio Abaidoo, said the GRA would continue to ensure compliance of the Excise Stamp Act 873 of 2013 since enough education had been carried out.
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According to him, provisions of Excise Stamp Act 873 require specified excisable products that are imported or locally produced to be affixed with the tax stamp, but some manufacturers and importers had failed to comply, a situation which has culminated in the enforcement of the law.
He disclosed that owners of the goods seized would be made to face sanctions prescribed by Act 873 since the grace period is over.
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Mr. Abaidoo asked retailers, shop owners and the entire public to stop patronising products without the tax stamps on them, adding that the authority will no longer spare defaulting retailers and distributors.
Source: dailyguidenetwork.com
