The Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association has decided to cancel its plans for a sit-down strike against the Ghana Revenue Authority concerning the ongoing compliance and monitoring exercise.

Takyi Addo, the Head of Communications of the association, made the announcement during a press conference, stating, “We are pleased to inform everyone that the closure of our shops, which was initially intended to send a message to the government and GRA, has been suspended immediately.”

The association clarified that they made this decision after engaging in discussions with the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Customs Division.

They also noted that the Customs Division had taken steps to address the concerns raised by the dealers by gradually recalling its officers who had previously been deployed to various shops in Accra to oversee the dealers.

Takyi Addo emphasized that the association’s objection was not directed at the electronic value-added tax policy itself but rather the way the decision was made and enforced.

This announcement was made by Takyi Addo, the Head of Communications for the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association, during a press conference held in Accra.

Background:

The Ghana Revenue Authority had introduced and implemented a value-added tax policy as part of its strategy to generate revenue for the state. In implementing this policy, GRA deployed staff and customs officers to monitor and collect revenue from the dealers’ shops.

The Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association expressed their dissatisfaction, as they believed that the decision had been made without their leadership being consulted.

In response to this, they had initially planned a sit-down strike against the Ghana Revenue Authority to oppose the decision that was unilaterally made by GRA.