The Domestic Tax Revenue Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has undertaken a monitoring exercise at Palace Mall on the Spintex Road as part of efforts to ensure compliance and fairness in the country’s tax administration.

The visit was aimed at confirming that businesses operating within the mall have fully implemented the government’s directive to reduce the Value Added Tax (VAT) rate to 15 per cent and to remove the COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy from their pricing structures.

During the exercise, officials of the GRA engaged shop owners and managers, inspected invoices and receipts, and reviewed point-of-sale systems to verify that the revised VAT rate was being correctly applied to goods and services.

The team also used the opportunity to educate traders on the new tax measures and the need to pass on the benefits directly to consumers.

According to the GRA, the monitoring exercise forms part of a broader nationwide compliance drive to ensure that recent tax policy changes are uniformly implemented across the retail and service sectors.

The Authority emphasised that accurate application of the revised VAT rate is essential to protect consumers, promote transparency, and maintain public confidence in the tax system.

Businesses were reminded that failure to comply with the new VAT rate and the removal of the COVID-19 levy could attract penalties in line with existing tax laws.

However, the GRA noted that its primary focus remains education and voluntary compliance rather than punishment.

The management and traders at Palace Mall welcomed the engagement, describing it as timely and helpful in clarifying operational concerns surrounding the tax adjustments.

Some operators indicated that the reduced VAT rate would help ease the financial burden on customers and potentially boost sales.

The GRA has assured the public that similar visits will continue across malls, markets, and business centres nationwide to ensure fairness, accountability, and consistency in the implementation of Ghana’s tax policies.