Import taxes: GRA favoring foreign nationals than Ghanaians - Nana Kay reveals

Asante Akim South Constituency First Vice Chairman hopeful, Nana Kwadwo Agyei Yeboah (Nana Kay), has revealed that the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is currently violating Act 891 Section 67 method 1 of the constitution with regards to the importation of commodities into the country.

According to him, the act is supposed to ensure that if you import a car or any goods from outside the country you will send the invoice to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and customs for the goods to be cleared hence he is very surprised the GRA are not accepting invoice from the government.

But according to Nana Kay, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and customs have violated the constitution-in doing that to favor foreign nationals in the country.

“Is very disturbing to note that the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Customs are not accepting invoices after the importation of goods in which the importers need to pay additional charges for the goods to be cleared which has been a sad development for importers," Nana Kwadwo Agyei Yeboah (Nana Kay) exclusively told Kwame Nkrumah Tikesee on Accra-based Okay FM.

“The leaders of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Customs are currently doing favoritism in the sense that foreigners like Lebanese, Indians and other foreigners are allowed to clear their goods by using their invoice without any problems but is sad how our own people are treating indigenous Ghanaians like that,’’he added

He further stated that he wants the GRA to do the right thing in accepting the invoice from the government and desisting from being partial against Ghanaians.

The laws governing VAT on Imports and Exports are Value Added Tax Act, 2013 (Act 870) and Value Added Tax Regulations, 2016 (L.I.2243). Sections 35, 36, 37 and 50, and Schedule 2 of the Act, and Regulation 39 and 42 deal with exports.

The goods which attract VAT at importation are classified as such in the Customs Division Tariff in accordance with the Harmonized System (HS) Code classification which encompasses the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET). This classification also includes goods exempted under the law.