GUTA bares teeth against GRA
The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) says it detests the harassment being meted out to their members by the Ghana Revenue Authority(GRA).
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It says the GRA has instituted a task force to intercept its goods and cargo from the various and when they are cleared.
At a press conference this morning in Accra, the association noted that under the pretext of enforcing tax compliance GRA officers harassed and intimidated its members in the Ashanti Region.
"Our cargo has passed through all clearing processes and procedures at the port , where the GRA operates, but the GRA cannot assign any cogent reason for the harassment of our traders," Dr Joseph Obeng, President of GUTA stated at the presser this morning.
Dr Obeng asserted that its members will resist these harassments through fair or foul means if they continue.
"They also claim that they do not understand why goods in Ashanti Region are cheaper than those in Greater Accra Region, failing to recognize the simple fact that purchasing power and demand for goods and services in Accra are higher than any part of the country," he noted.
Dr Obeng said his outfit has engaged the GRA and other stakeholders to find solutions to the issue but the GRA continues to frustrate members of the business community including its traders.
"They call some people invigilators who come to sit in our shops and monitor our sales, we are not in a police state, business operators are not criminals," he stated.
Surrounded by some executives and members of GUTA, he asserted that members of his outfit pay legitimate taxes and VAT and must be treated fairly.
He called for a change in the existing tax structure which he says is not uniformed and fair.
"In the markets there are traders who charge the standard rate scheme of about 22 per cent , there are also those who charge the flat rate scheme of four percent and there are those who are instructed not to charge the VAT due to the tax threshold limit, all these group of traders are operating in the same vicinity, this forces the consumer to use his or her discretion to get what benefits him or her," he revealed.
He maintained that his outfit will do all within its power to protect their businesses.