The Debt Management and Enforcement Unit of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has cracked the whip on some Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) by locking up the premises on some OMCs Thursday morning.
The exercise according to the GRA, is to recoup accumulated petroleum taxes running into millions of cedis from some OMCs.
Grid Petroleum, an OMC reported to be indebted to the GRA to the tune of Ghs 1.5 million had its premises locked by the Debt Management and Enforcement Unit.
Leader of the team, Chief Revenue Officer, Nathaniel Nii Okai Tetteh, addressing journalists noted the properties of the company can be confiscated if they fail to honour their debt.
“Where we are is a property of Grid Petroleum, but we have another team at the head office and we have a warrant from the Commissioner General to take over the premises and all other properties belonging to grid petroleum,” he stated.
“Ours is to ensure that the accumulated debt since 2019 has been paid to the Ghana Revenue Authority, then we can open it for them to continue their work” he added.
OMCs have on several occasions been accused of evading tax payments due the State, an assertion OMCs and its umbrella association, the Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMCs) have denied severally.
In October last year, the Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMCs) rejected claims that some of its members were indebted to government in terms of taxes to the tune of Ghs 25.5 billion.
Stating that it has over the years collaborated with tax agencies to ensure that every member is compliant.
Chief Executive Officer of the AOMCs, Kwaku Agyeman-Duah, speaking to the media in October last year, said the Ghana Audit Service and Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) have engaged its members with regard to tax reconciliation dating back to 2015 and that none of its member had received documentation from any state body in connection with tax default.
