Accra, April 18, 2018//-The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) today ordered the removal of excisable products which did not have tax stamps from the shelves of Shoprite, Melcom, MaxMart and other shops in Accra metropolis.
A directive detailed in the Excise Tax Stamp Act 2013 (Act 873) enjoins manufacturers and importers of excisable products to fix hologram stamps on their products before they are sold to the final consumers.
The tax stamp policy was implemented in March 2018 but some businesses have issues with it. So, to ensure its compliance officials of GRA paid a surprised visit to the supermarkets mentioned above.
At the Industrial Area Branch of Melcom, the GRA officials asked the supermarket staff to remove from their shelves all products that did not have the stamps.
GIHOC Distilleries which is also in the same vicinity, there were no unstamped products on display when the GRA team got there.
The team was met by the Chief Executive Officer GIHOC Distilleries Maxwell Kofi Jumah who conducted them around the company’s premises to see their alcoholic beverages embossed with the tax stamp on display.
According to Mr Jumah, acquiring the tax stamp machine was costly but it was rewarding to have it.
From there, team drove to West Hills Mall which is the largest shopping mall in West Africa, where it ordered the removal of excisable products from the shelves of Shoprite.
The 37 Military Hospital branch of MaxMart and Bacchus also suffered the same fate, but some MaxMart staff resisted the inspected.
Addressing journalists after the inspection, the Head of Communication and Public Affairs of the GRA, Bobie Ansah warned that shops that fail to comply with the policy would have all their unstamped excisable products seized on their next visit.
He also used the opportunity to advice the general public not to buy products without tax stamps embossed on them.
African Eye Report
