Leadership of the Abossey Okai Spare Parts dealers association has called off their sit-down protest against the Ghana Revenue Authority’s Compliance and Manual-Policing Exercise.
The move according to the dealers stem from steps taken by the GRA to remove the Compliance and Manual-Policing Exercise system at the spare parts hub.
The Spare Parts dealers threatened to close down their shops for three days beginning November 1, 2023, in protest against the government’s new tax compliance module.
They claimed that the tax compliance measures are detrimental to their businesses and livelihoods.
At a press conference on Wednesday November 1, leadership of the spare parts hub suspended the strike yet demanded a proper negotiation with the GRA and the Customs Division service to get all their concerns resolved.
Head of Communications for the Spare Parts dealers, Takyi Addo, clarified that their demands have partially been met as GRA has agreed to rescind the Compliance and Manual-Policing Exercise.
Below is their full statement:
Abbosey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association Calls off Sit-Down Protest against GRA’s Compliance and Manual-Policing Exercise.
For Immediate Release: November 1, 2023
The leadership of the Abbosey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association wishes to inform the public about the cancellation of our sit-down strike against the Ghana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) compliance and monitoring exercise.
The issues that led to our planned demonstration and temporary closure of shops were related to the GRA’s implementation of the Electronic Value Added Tax (E-VAT), which our association perceived as intimidating and lacking in respect.
In light of the concerns raised, the GRA has taken steps to withdraw its personnel from our members’ shops.
Our members have always been law-abiding citizens of Ghana, living in peace and providing services to our fellow citizens.
We, therefore, found it perplexing that the GRA would implement a policy without consulting our association.
It is important to clarify that we do not oppose the E-VAT policy itself but rather the manner in which it was being enforced.
We were baffled by the daily presence of GRA officers monitoring our activities, which seemed to be excessive in the name of revenue generation for the government.
Today, we are pleased to announce that the closure of our shops, which was intended to send a message to the government and the GRA, has been suspended indefinitely.
This decision follows engagements with the GRA and the Customs division, resulting in an agreement to withdraw officers from our shops. Furthermore, the Customs officers stationed along the Accra-Kumasi highway will also be recalled to their respective stations.
We take this opportunity to commend the government for heeding the concerns of our association, and we would like to express our gratitude to all Ghanaians for their support during our protest against the policy.
May God continue to bless our beloved motherland, Ghana.
Signed,
Head of Communications
By Maxwell Otoo|OnuaFM|Onuaonline.com
