The National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has said the Ghana Revenue Authority's (GRA) decision to close shops due to E-VAT non-compliance is counterproductive. 

Henry Nana Boakye popularly known as Nana B said the Authority should rather focus on institutions where tax evasion findings have been made against them. 

He said the move would be justified only if it was targeted at businesses that ample evidence shows have been evading or under-declaring their taxes

The NPP National Organiser in a statement on Tuesday, October 11, said, “ the widespread approach of stationing revenue officers at businesses is counterproductive, oppressive, repressive, and suppressive.”

“We are not in normal times – businesses and individuals are bearing the brunt of the twin global crisis and their concomitant economic agony – and the least expected from GRA is to police traders whom no tax evasion findings have been made against.”

“In this day of technology, GRA should adopt welcoming and pleasant ways of revenue collection strategy that engenders revenue assurance. This strategy is weak and lame since Revenue Officers stationed at these shops and businesses can be compromised to aid owners to evade or under-declare their taxes. 

"GRA should rather strive to reduce human contact in revenue collection and employ technological solutions to take taxes from businesses,” he added.

Nana B also asked the Public Relations Unit of GRA to be up and doing.

According to him, the Unit currently appears ineffective. 

“Paying taxes is not a pleasant thing and for that matter, a responsive PR approach must be adopted to educate the tax-paying population about their programmes and activities.”

Officials of the GRA have shut down four branches of the Palace Mall. 

The closure occurred on Tuesday, October 11, 2022.

The affected branches are; Labone, Spintex, Atomic roundabout and Weija.

They were closed for non-compliance with the Authority’s E-VAT Invoicing system.

According to the GRA, a number of selected shops have deliberately failed to issue VAT invoices electronically when customers walk in to make purchases.

But Nana B thinks a better approach could have been used.