Thirteen companies sue GRA and Cocobod over payment of VAT

Some thirteen Agricultural companies including Kuapa Cocoa and Olam Ghana and CDH Commodities, have sued the Ghana Revenue Authority and its Commissioner-General, as well as the Ghana COCOBOD and its CEO, over what they say is an imposition of Valued Added Tax (VAT) on them.

The companies in their writ to the court say they have been exempted from the payment of VAT over the past 24 years.

According to them, the Ghana Revenue Authority has in a letter directed the Ghana COCOBOD to register them for the collection of VAT, a move they have described as unreasonable, capricious and a complete disregard for the law and their economic rights.

The companies therefore want a declaration that will exempt them from paying VAT on activities including the trucking and haulage of agricultural products, including cocoa, coffee and shea nuts in their raw state.

They are also asking the court to place a perpetual injunction restraining the GRA and COCOBOD from ever auditing, purporting to audit, assessing or purporting to assess the Plaintiffs for the purposes of charging the Plaintiffs to pay Value Added Tax (VAT).

The companies further want the court to order the GRA and COCOBOD to fully compensate for the VAT paid by them.

Citinewsroom