Pecuniary penalties amounting to GHS691,353.11 imposed on 38 vehicles imported into the country by the Preventive Section of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) were not paid by the importers concerned, the 2016 Auditor-General’s report has revealed.

Many reasons account for the imposition of a penalty on imported cars. Failure to clear the vehicle at the recommended time period may attract a penalty. Also, a car which is more than 10 years old is considered overage and attracts a penalty which is an extra charge paid in addition to other tariffs.

For failing to collect the penalties, the A-G recommended that management should investigate the cause for non-payment of the full penalties and the officer who authorised the release of the vehicles without the payment be made to refund the amount and sanctioned.

The report further disclosed that 549 companies, business entities and individuals owed an amount of GHS6,806,899.00 and $61,506.00 in corporate and individual income taxes for the 2015 year of assessment.

This was after the A-G’s Department reviewed 1,555 selected tax files from 10 Domestic Tax Revenue Offices in the Greater Accra Region.

The report has urged management of the GRA to increase its enforcement role to collect all the outstanding tax revenues.