The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) yesterday locked-up four branches of the Palace Mall in Accra for failing to connect to the Authority’s Electronic Value Added Tax (VAT) management system (E-VAT).
Labone Palace Mall, Spintex Road Palace Mall, Atomic Junction Palace Mall and Weija Palace Mall are the affected branches.
The Palace Mall is one of 50 businesses selected by the GRA to be part of the initial enrollment onto the system by October 1 this year.
However, as at yesterday, only 25 of them have duly complied with the directive.
Earlier on Monday, three branches of the China Mall in Accra were also locked-up for non-compliance.
MrKwasiEghan, Deputy Commissioner in Charge of Operations, Domestic Tax Revenue Division of the GRA, told the media, that the locked-up businesses would not be allowed to operate until they were connected to the system.
He said the locking-up of businesses was an enforcement strategy to compel the businesses to comply with the directive.
“We have started visiting and closing down businesses not connected to system. They will not operate until they are connected to the system.
We will continue until all 50 taxpayers selected are fully compliant with the directive. We are not happy about closing down the businesses. It is our last resort and we encourage all the businesses to connect to the system now,” MrEghan stated.
Explaining the E-VAT, he noted that, the system was designed to enable the GRA certify all VAT invoices in real time.
By the end of the first quarter of 2023, the GRA, he said, was targeting to enrol 600 taxpayers onto the system and 20,000 by end of the year.
Mr Eghan added that the system enrollment exercise would be completed in 2024.
He said the 50 businesses were selected to reflect all types of taxpayers including wholesalers, retailers, mining companies and manufacturing companies.
BY CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS