The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has locked up an unlicenced Chinese Factory – Everyday Manufacturing Ltd. – located at the Awutu Senya Constituency in the Central Region for illegally recycling cartons of government textbooks into toilet-rolls.

The Special Revenue Mobilisation Task Force of the GRA embarked on the action after a tip-off and thorough investigation into operations of the company for two weeks by the Counter Intelligence Unit of the GRA.

So far, the manager, salesman and Ghanaian interpreter of the 6-year old company have been picked up by the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service. The three arrested are currently on police inquiry bail.

Head of the Task Force, Henry Bradford Sam, said the company had committed several tax and criminal offences – including tax evasion, failure to issue the Commissioner-General invoice, and destroying government property.

“We are going to estimate cost of the exercise books and other raw materials used for producing the toilet-roll. Based on the estimate, the Commissioner-General will be in the best position to issue the tax due after deducting from what the company has paid already. We are also going to impose not less than 75 percent of taxes assessed as penalty: that is for Tax Evasion.

“We are also looking at failure to issue the Commissioner-General’s Invoice; we also saw that they were not keeping and maintaining records, and that also constitutes an offence. So, we are looking at these offences which amount to impeding tax administration and evading payment of lawful taxes. The police will also look at other criminal offences and associated government property that has been destroyed due to their actions, and deal with them accordingly. We are working hand in hand to ensure that we get to the bottom of these serious offences,” he said.

He added that the GRA will go to all lengths to clamp down on unscrupulous business and ensure that the right taxes are paid for development.

“The nation grows when we all pay our taxes. We are ready to put in all the work to ensure that. So, businesses and all individuals must do well to pay their taxes. If you don’t and the law gets you, there will be no mercy.”