Storm GRA Kempinski and Movenpick seize products without tax stamps

GRA officials inspect bottles at Kempinski Gold Coast Bar

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) stormed the Kempinski Gold Coast and Movenpick Ambbadador hotels in Accra on Wednesday morning to seize cartons of bottled spirits and non-tax stamped wines..

during an exercise of inspection by the GRA it was realized majority Products at the bar and store hotels did not have tax stamps.

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GRA warned retailers, store owners and Ghanaians to stop buying and posting items without tax stamps.

The Excise Tax Stamp Act 2013 (ACT 873) was pbaded by Parliament in December 2013 with the aim of badisting the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in applying the stamp policy. excise tax on specific goods subject to excise duty prior to their ex-works delivery. any port or presented for sale at any commercial level in Ghana.

The ACT subsequently received presidential approval in January 2014. The Excise Tax Stamp Act is by no means an introduction of a new tax. Rather, it requires excise tax stamps with traceable and secure functions on certain excise goods to serve as preliminary evidence of payment of required duties and taxes and provide an audit trail to track importers and manufacturers of counterfeit goods.

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Surgery

The members of the GRA working group set up to apply the tax stamp as part of a special exercise have visited both luxury hotels unexpectedly and have found alcohol without the stamp excise tax posted on the shelves of the bar.

All bottles without tax stamp were removed, after which the team stormed the shops departments of the hotel and found cartons of alcoholic beverages that were also seized.

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The team also found non-alcoholic bottled beverages that did not have tax stamps.

The excise tax stamps are specially designed digital stamps with security features, affixed to specified excise goods, whether they are locally manufactured or imported.

The goods covered by the Act include cigarettes and other tobacco products, canned or cask alcoholic beverages, bottled, canned or otherwise packaged non-alcoholic soft drinks and bottled water.

Enforcement started in ports on January 1 2018 and outlets on March 1, 2018, with a special working group beginning the first phase of an exercise in Accra, Kumasi and Takoradi.

The chief of the tax force, Mr. Kwabena Apau Anto, indicated that all the detained goods would be forwarded to the GRA office where the related taxes would be calculated, after which penalties would be imposed.

Under the law, defaulters will be fined 300% of the duties and taxes concerned.