The failure to issue Value Added Tax (VAT) invoices to customers led to the arrest of six (6) business operators including two (2) Chinese in Accra.
It is an offence for a registered tax paying business not to issue VAT invoices to customers who patronize their services.
Ooerators of the two companies were arrested by the VAT investigation taskforce of the Ghana Revenue Authority(GRA).
The identities of the arrested were not disclosed but the names of their companies were given as follows:
COMPUTERLAND GHANA LIMITED
HIANG VEGETABLES AND FRUIT CHINESE SUPERMARKET
EMELIJO ENTERPRISE
U-FRESH COMPANY LIMITED
SULAS ENTERPRISE
MAHALIA KOLLECTION
About 93 businesses out of 115 were found to be engaging in this criminal act. The exercise was targeted at 15 out of 93 identified companies.
The taskforce had a hard time when they visited some of the aforementioned companies, because the managers were not ready to cooperate with the GRA team.
Joseph Annan, the manager of the Accra Central Enforcement Unit of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) led the team for the exercise. He said, the arrested persons would be handed over to the police for further investigations and would be charged if found guilty.
Mr Annan said, two Chinese owned companies has most of their records in the Chinese language and ” we will get it translated at all cost “. “We are enforcing the issuance of VAT invoices. I urge àll businesses to do the right thing as expected of them. We will continue the exercise untill all businesses comply with the law” he said.
The public is advised to demand VAT invoices whenever they make purchases from any shop.