GRA Impounds Vehicles Over Non-Payment Of Duties

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), says it will sustain its nationwide operation to impound vehicles that have not paid the appropriate duties and taxes, until a time when the roads are cleared of such vehicles.

According to the GRA, the exercise will be carried out at random in various parts of the country. It thus urged vehicle owners as well as prospective buyers to go to the nearest GRA offices to check if their vehicle dealers have paid all the requisite taxes and duties.

Addressing the media before the exercise commenced on April 30, 2018, the Commissioner-General of the GRA, Mr Emmanuel Kofi Nti, said the nation was losing huge sums of money from the non-payment of requisite taxes and duties on vehicles that come into the country.

“Today, this intended exercise which has generated a lot of anxiety in the media and the general public, is taking place right after this briefing. Intelligence reports reaching the GRA indicates that there are many of such uncustomed vehicles and trucks driving on our roads with impunity, without the payment of the requisite import duties and other taxes on them.”

The Commissioner-General expressed disappointment with the number of vehicles that were impounded in 2017, and called on vehicle owners to do the right thing before the law catches up with them.

“Last year [2017, a special exercise was carried out and the statistics do not look good. 754 vehicles were impounded. Today’s exercise is to create awareness that such special vehicle operations will be sustained and that all vehicle or truck owners as well as all prospective buyers should always contact customs offices across the country for verification of the status of the vehicle they want to purchase.”

The leader of the day’s operation, Deputy Commissioner Alhaji Seidu Iddrisu, revealed that the GRA has impounded over 400 vehicles in Accra alone from January to April 2018. He said impounded vehicles which are not claimed after 74 days will be auctioned.

“Since January, we have impounded over 400 cars in Accra. The team also goes around the country to impound cars that haven’t paid their duties and taxes. When they impound the cars they don’t bring them to Accra, they keep them in the respective regions.”

The Deputy Commissioner of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Alhaji Seidu Iddrisu, revealed that about 90% of the cars impounded belong to people who sold such cars without understanding that the duties and taxes had not been paid for and thus should be paid.

The operation is being powered by the GCNet’s vehicle tracking software.