Seventeen Oil Marketing Companies did not pay duties and taxes totaling GH¢249,800,802.28 on 219,995,530 litres of fuel products lifted for the period January 2020 to December 2021.

The Auditor General’s report on the audit of Ministries, Departments and Agencies noted this discrepancy from the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS).

Twenty-eight Oil Marketing Companies failed to settle their rescheduled debts of GH¢402,049,571.70.

This is contrary to Section 47 of the Revenue Administration Act, 2016 (Act 915).

This law provides that, a taxpayer may apply in writing to the Commissioner-General for an extension of time to pay tax under the tax law.

“A taxpayer may re-apply to the Commissioner–General before the end of the extension period, but an extension of time to pay tax shall not exceed twelve months in aggregate. Where an extension is granted, and the taxpayer is permitted to pay by instalments and the taxpayer defaults in paying any of the instalments, the whole balance of the tax outstanding becomes payable immediately.”

The Auditor General in its report recommended that the Commissioner of the Ghana Revenue Authority should use legal means to recover the outstanding amount of GH¢402,049,571.70 from the OMCs involved.