Citi Business News has learnt government is failing to enforce the 2015 budget plan to scrap the 20% tax on the importation of smart phones into the country, five months after it was announced.
[contextly_sidebar id=”BRo92CrDz7werRj8gMNpVHvCMLuSoSRf”]The Minister of Finance Seth Terkper confirmed in the 2015 budget, plans to remove the import duties as part of measures to bridge the digital divide in the country which was later passed by parliament.
Some importers of mobile phones and accessories say the situation is contributing to the increasing cases of tax evasion and smuggling of handsets into the country.
“We were thinking as soon as it was approved in parliament and passed customs will stop charging those fees but they are still charging it. We don’t know why they should still charge, I don’t know whether they want us to get up and start shouting again before they will scrap it”, the Chairman of the Mobile Phone and Accessories Dealers Association Osei Agyeman threatened.
Speaking to Citi Business News he said the Ghana Revenue Authority is insisting the government decision has not formally been brought to their attention.
“Within the week we will go and see the minister of finance and see how best we can go about it “, he added.
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By: Rabiu Alhassan/citifmonline.com/Ghana
