Some 28 Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) failed to pay an amount totalling GH₵226,942,904.00 in taxes
between July 2018 to December 2019 says the Auditor General’s Department.
According to the 2020 Auditor General’s report on the public accounts released by the Department, the taxes were on petroleum products the OMCs lifted from the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).
“Our audit disclosed that 28 OMCs from July 2018 to December 2019, lifted various petroleum products without paying the required duties and taxes totalling GH¢226,942,904.00 to GRA-Customs Division,” it added.
The report further noted that these OMCs failed to comply with Section 104 of the Customs Act 2015 (Act 891).
The report thus recommended to the Commissioner of the Customs Division to recover those monies without any further delays.
“Section 104 of the Customs Act, 2015 (Act 891) provides that where the Commissioner-General establishes that a person owes duty or tax arrears, that person shall within thirty days of a written request by the Commissioner-General refund the money or pay the duty or tax arrears owed,” it said.
“We recommended to the Commissioner, Customs Division to recover the amount of GH¢226,942,904.00 from the OMCs without any further delay,” it added.
The document is titled: “Report of the Auditor-General on the public accounts of Ghana –public boards, corporations, and other statutory institutions for the year ended 31 December 2020”.
The Auditor-General also accused ten Oil Marketing Companies (OMC) of causing financial loss to the state totalling GHc33,675,044 between 2016 and 2017, in it’s 2018 report.
“Our review of petroleum products lifted at TOR between November 2016 and November 2017 showed that 10 OMCs defaulted in the payment of excise duties, taxes and levies amounting to GH¢33,675,044,” the report stated.
It blamed the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) for failing to collect tax revenue, apply measures and sanction the defaulting OMCs.
“Included in this tax irregularity was GH¢33,675,044 due from ten oil marketing companies who failed to pay taxes on petroleum products lifted at TOR between November 2016 and November 2017.”
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri