The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has said there are many smuggled vehicles plying the streets in Ghana, stressing that the owners circumvented the process and evaded the payment of import duties on the vehicles.
At a press conference in Accra on Thursday, the GRA revealed that it has recently impounded over 100 vehicles which were plying the streets and the owners did not pay import duties.
The vehicles were impounded through intelligence gathering and through the special task force set up by the Minister of Finance.
They were said to have been smuggled into the country through unapproved routes.
Others were also brought into Ghana under the ECOWAS 90-days rule from neighbouring countries but the owners changed the foreign number plates and used Ghana numbers.
The GRA has therefore cautioned car buyers to be cautious, send documents covering all vehicles they want to buy for customs verification before purchasing them.
“I wish to remind the general public that in accordance with section 55 (1) of the Customs Act, 2016, Act 891: ‘A person who imports vehicles into the country shall pay import duties and any other inputs,” the Commissioner General, Mr Emmanuel Kofi Nti said at the press conference.
“It follows from this that the owners of the ‘un-customed’ vehicles have violated the law. Those who have vehicles in the country and are using the vehicles, supposedly with registered numbers, and have not paid the duties on them have violated the law,” he added.
“The work of the Special Surveillance and Monitoring Unit has confirmed that the number of ‘un-customed’ vehicles are many in the country. GRA is therefore calling on all owners of such vehicles to regularise the status of their vehicles with the Customs Division of the GRA.
“I also wish to advise the general public to verify the authenticity of the documents of any vehicle they intend to purchase with the Customs Division of the GRA ,to be sure of the tax and duties status of such vehicles before payment.
“…accordingly, GRA is serving notice to the general public to ensure that all vehicles that they own have all their duties duly paid. This is to forestall any embarrassment to the society at large. GRA hopes to receive the cooperation of all in the enforcement of the laws that guides the operations of the GRA.
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