Some Chinese nationals operating at quarry sites in Kasoa in the Central region on Thursday, December 8, 2022 released dogs on employees of the Tax Enforcement Unit of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
As part of efforts to increase revenue collection in the nation, the GRA officials were engaged in an exercise to enforce tax compliance.
The Chinese nationals released the canines as soon as they saw them on the site, according to Joseph Annan, Head of Enforcement at the GRA in charge of Accra Central, who was speaking to press.
“We experienced some nasty encounter today. Dogs were released on us but thanks to our security officers in the name of the preventive staff”, Mr. Annan said.
He added that the case will be handed over to the Attorney-General’s Department.
“The case will be investigated and then the docket will be completed and handed over to our legal unit for possible prosecution”, he stressed.
Providing some details, Mr. Annan said the Tax Enforcement Unit is a special group trained to handle hostile situations, hence the team was able to calm the dogs.
“They were able to quell the situation. There are a lot of Chinese nationals operating here without paying the VAT, and when we come to enforce the law, they open their dogs. We will deal with them for trying to push us back”.
The quarry companies visited by the team are Executive Quarry, Pilot Stone Quarry, Tonnisco Quarry and Hao Xin Quarry.
“They are all Chinese companies operating in Ghana without paying the VAT”, Mr. Annan said.
Before the exercise, the team undertook an earlier operation in the Shai-Osudoku Municipality where some quarry companies were shut down for not paying taxes.
Mr. Annan announced that the GRA will turn its attention to operators in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry to ensure that the right taxes are paid during the festive season.
According to the GRA, there are close to 100 grand events slated for December which will be keenly monitored by the authority for tax compliance.
The Chinese national, who runs quarries in Kasoa without paying the necessary taxes, is accused of unleashing their dogs on the tax inspectors the moment they arrived at their location.
On Friday, December 9, 2022, he told Accra-based Joy FM that things might have gotten ugly if not for the security men who frequently accompany the GRA team on their tours and intervened in a timely manner.
“We experienced some nasty encounter today (December 8). Dogs were released on us but thanks to our security officers in the name of the preventive staff.
“The case will be investigated and then the docket will be completed and handed over to our legal unit for possible prosecution,” he stressed.
Mr. Annan went on to say that the canines were calmed using their training by the Tax Enforcement Unit of the GRA, which is equipped to deal with aggressive circumstances.
“They were able to quell the situation. There are a lot of Chinese nationals operating here without paying the VAT, and when we come to enforce the law, they open their dogs. We will deal with them for trying to push us back.”
Executive Quarry, Pilot Stone Quarry, Tonnisco Quarry, and Hao Xin Quarry are the quarry firms that the team visited.
“They are all Chinese companies operating in Ghana without paying the VAT,” Mr. Annan added.
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