The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has cleared Say Cheers of tax non-compliance and apologised to the business after a review confirmed it had met its tax obligations.
The apology follows a previous VAT compliance exercise in September 2026 at the Accra Mall, where GRA officers were quite public in questioning the business’s compliance after reporting that no VAT invoices had been issued since 15th September, despite the business continuing to sell. The inspection was part of a national VAT compliance exercise by the GRA to improve tax collection by encouraging the issuance of VAT invoices.
In the first exercise, the Commissioner of the Domestic Tax Revenue Division (DTVD), Dr Martin Kolbil Yamborigya, faulted Say Cheers, describing its invoicing practices as evidence of poor compliance and drawing public attention to the company’s tax status.
However, the Authority’s own subsequent checks confirmed that the business had been compliant all along. This prompted the GRA, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Operations, Kwesi Eghan, to go back to Say Cheers to clarify their position in a public statement. Mr Eghan confirmed that the Authority’s e-tax monitoring system had verified the company’s compliance.
Speaking to the press during the second visit on 21st October 2026, Mr Eghan said the Authority felt it needed to correct the earlier statement to avoid further damage to the company’s reputation.
“We’ve checked the system. We’re very comfortable from our end. We have in fact checked the transactions that have been carried out and it’s absolutely clear that Say Cheers is in compliance, is in fact in compliance,” he said.
He attributed the GRA’s initial concerns to miscommunication and a tax calculation error, not non-compliance by the business.
Mr Eghan said the Authority revisited Say Cheers after the company invited the GRA to clarify concerns and demonstrate its compliance with tax requirements.
He apologised for the earlier communication and acknowledged the need to correct the public record after the concerns attracted attention.
“If there has been any miscommunication, we are mature enough to give you apologies and let the general public also understand that Say Cheers is compliant,” he said.
He added that fairness in public communication required the Authority to clarify adequate visibility, particularly because the initial concerns were already public.
The Say Cheers episode highlights the importance of checking tax records before making any public comment on a company’s compliance, given the potential impact on reputation and customer confidence.