A construction firm that was supervising an ultra-modern building complex at Dzorwulu owned by Allied Oil and Danicom Limited has absconded leaving behind a debt of GHC5m owed the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

According to the current project manager of the site, the firm by name Ace Façade fled months ago with the excuse that they were under pressure and, therefore had to leave construction site.

This was made known after the GRA visited the construction site to cease equipment and materials belonging to the firm and to stop them from working in a bid to compel them to fulfil their obligation to the state.

Chief Revenue Officer of the GRA, Reverend John Buabeng, who led the team to the site said, “We followed up with a tax debtor called Ace Façade. He owes the Ghana Revenue Authority monies in excess of GHC5 million and so we followed up to one of the projects he was undertaking…the company itself and the directors.”

“We haven’t found them but they have absconded. We came to this site where they were undertaking a project to be able to attach any property belonging to Ace Façade but the project manager has also told us that he has terminated the appointment and has absconded and so they don’t have any information about him,” Rev. Buabeng revealed.

Measures to retrieve money

Reverend John Buabeng insisted that even though the construction company, Ace Façade has absconded, they will pursue them until the money is retrieved.

He noted that his outfit will serve a garnishee order that will compel the clients, Allied Oil and Danicom to pay to GRA any moneys to be paid to Ace Façade Limited for the work done.

The Chief Revenue Officer detailed “if there are monies to be paid to Ace Façade, we are going to serve a garnishment order on the project owner so that any moneys due the tax payer will be paid to the GRA.”

Revenue mobilisation

The Ghana Revenue Authority rolled out a new campaign aimed at increasing voluntary tax compliance of tax obligations by the citizenry in November, 2017

The campaign dubbed “Our Taxes Our Future” was expected to run for four weeks and included a series of activities geared towards encouraging people to pay their taxes to accumulate revenue for more developmental projects.

According to Rev. John Buabeng, the first three weeks of the campaign was to encourage compliance but now, GRA will go after defaulters to ensure they fulfil their obligations.

In line with this, Officials of the GRA stormed the premises of the Accra Mall to shut down the facility over some GHC2.3 million tax owed the state. Other facilities have also fallen victim.

Ace Façade Limited’s debt of GHC5m dates back to 2014 and is in respect of tax liabilities, such as the PAYE, withholding tax and VAT.