The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has hinted on publishing names of the various Oil Marketing Companies(OMCs) who have defaulted in the payment of their taxes which has accumulated over time.
In a communique by the Authority, it advised defaulting Oil Marketing Companies to honor their tax obligations by December 3, 2021 or face prosecution. GRA averred that it will not hesitate to publish the names of defaulting managers of the OMCS as well if they fail to meet the deadline for payment of the taxes.
“The Ghana Revenue Authority wishes to inform managers of Oil Marketing Companies;(OMCs) who have defaulted on payment of taxes that the Authority will publish names of defaulting OMC’s;and their managers if satisfactory arrangements are not made to settle outstanding tax liabilities by Friday,;3rd December 2021. All OMCs are to take note of this final reminder to settle outstanding tax liabilities”.
GRA
According to GRA,;in addition to the publication of the list of defaulters,;the Authority will also continue enforcement actions such as garnishing of accounts,;seal off of business premises among other enforcement tools available as well as prosecution.
GRA cautions other business sectors on tax payment
The management of GRA advised businesses;in other sectors to also take steps to settle their tax liabilities or make satisfactory arrangements;to pay in order to avoid the publication of their names in the dailies and subsequent enforcements actions.
“Sections 58 and 95 of the revenue Administration Act 2016,;(Act 915) mandate the Commissioner-General of the GRA to publish;the names of tax offenders in the Gazette, on the GRA website or in any other national media”.
GRA
This warning follows previous warnings issued by the GRA to the various Oil Marketing Companies;to make payments of their outstanding tax they owe the Authority. This came after the Auditor General earlier this year disclosed that taxes which are owed by some OMCs totaled GH¢226.94 million
The Authority following the revelation undertook an exercise which ended in the lock up of some stations of the OMCs, due to accumulation of petroleum tax and levies arrears, to the tune of more than Ghc2 million. The exercise enabled the taskforce to engage managers of these firms to honor their tax obligations as soon as possible.
GRA on prosecution of OMCs
However, some Oil Marketing Companies, regardless of the warning issued, are still defaulting in the payment of their taxes. Following their recalcitrant nature, the Ghana Revenue Authority began an engagement with the Chief Justice, Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah to get support from the judiciary to prosecute tax defaulting Oil Marketing Companies.
According to the Commissioner General of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Rev. Ammishaddai Owusu Amoah, processes have begun to prosecute the OMCS that are found culpable for defaulting in tax payments after several cautions. He indicated that the recent exercise by the taskforce yielded positive results as some affected companies made progress in clearing their debts.
