Accra, Nov. 16, GNA - Mr John Awuni, Corporate Affairs Director of Finatrade Group of Companies, on Tuesday said reducing taxes on rice from= La Cote d'Ivoire by the Ghana Revenue Authority was tantamount to selective justice and discriminatory practices.

"The practice by GRA is not only an affront to genuine business in t= he country, but can also serve as a recipe for more smuggling of rice into t= he country." Mr Awuni, who is also a member of Food and Beverage Association of Ghana, (FABAG) said in a press statement issued in Accra reacting to GRA'= s recent temporary reduction of taxes from 94 Ghana Pesewas to 75 Ghana Pesewas to enable importers from La Cote d'Ivoire clear their goods at th= e Elubo border. He said the clearance, which is to enable the importers meet the deadline, is not necessary because there is no food crisis in the country= , adding, 'what is good for the goose is equally good for the gander and I feel that those who import through the ports are being discriminated against.' Mr Awuni said he was particularly surprised that GRA quickly succumb= ed to the threat from the importers to resort to smuggling if nothing was do= ne to enable them to clear their backlog of rice.

"The fact that they have come out to say that they would go back to smuggling is enough evidence to prove that they were already or have ever=

engaged in smuggling and should, therefore, have been arrested rather tha= n giving them a listening ear," he stressed. Mr Awuni said most of the traders who import from La Cote d'Ivoire a= re individual businesses, while FABAG members who are importing through the ports are employing a lot of workers in the country. "Currently, Finatrade Group of Companies alone is providing direct j= obs to over 2,000 Ghanaians and if the current trend continues we shall be compelled to sack most of these people from our outfits," he added. Mr Awuni said the current situation would scare genuine importation of rice and could lure more importers to engage in all kinds of illegalities=

and called on the Government to intervene to restore the prevailing investment friendliness in the country. He said if the La Cote d'Ivoire rice importers are actually paying a= ll the necessary taxes, they would not be selling their rice at an outrageou= sly reduced price of GH¢48.00 per 25 Kilogrammes of rice and called on the Food and Drugs Board (FDB) to investigate the issue thoroughly.

The FABAG member appealed to GRA to reflect on their reaction and fi= nd a lasting solution to rice importation rather than choosing discriminator= y moves. "The government would continue to loose huge sums of money if GRA do= es not sit up to implement their import tax equitably to all rice importers in the country," Mr Awuni added.

Meanwhile, Miss Annie Anipa, Head of Public Affairs of Customs, Exc= ise and Preventive Service, (CEPS) in a statement signed on behalf of GRA, sa= id it was committed to impartial and transparent application of tax laws and=

would, therefore, not compromise on the application of correct values on all imports. She reminded Ghanaians that declaration of false values for imports= , including rice at any point of entry, whether on the sea, airport or overland is a customs offence that would not be condoned. 16 Nov. 10