“Rather, the stamp is a new way of administering the already existing tax and helps the GRA to effectively monitor the payment of excise tax to ensure that the correct amount of tax is paid”.

The excise Tax Stamp policy Act 2013, was passed following a stakeholders  consultations to check under declaration by importers and manufacturers, control the importation and local production of excisable goods for revenue and health purposes, check illicite trading, smuggling, counterfeiting of goods and ultimately protect and increase tax revenue.

Mr Nti who was speaking to Journalists on the need for compliance on the excise tax Stamp therefore called on manufacturers to willingly abide with the new tax directive to ensure that they did not fall foul of the law.

“GRA is now enforcing compliance of the policy to the latter…let me take this opportunity to sound a note of caution to all especially domestic manufacturers to affix the stamp on the products…those adopting wait and see attitude must begin to revise their notes”, he added.

The commissioner-General further appealed to the consuming public to support the policy by refusing to purchase goods without the excise stamp.

The exercise is to ensure compliance starts with a first phase of removing goods without the stamp from the shelves of manufacturers, wholesale or retail dealers while as the second phase would focus on enforcement, seizure, penalties and imprisonment.

The Commissioner-General together with other staff visited "All needs", Vicandy and Western Water Company where it was found out that whilst some goods had the stamp, others were yet to be affixed with the stamps.