Staff of Keda Ghana Ceramics Company Limited have petitioned the state to investigate the company and its management for corporate income tax evasion, deliberate recruitment manipulations, labour exploitation and refusal to remit pension contributions as stipulated by Ghana’s Pensions Act.
The staff who insist they have concrete evidence to back these egregious acts of illegality and thievery perpetrated against the state and its workers insist the conduct has persisted for the past seven years.
“Between 2016 and 2023, the company, under the direct leadership of its Managing Director Mr. Lorry Lei, systematically and intentionally evaded its statutory obligations under the National Pensions Act, 2008 (Act 766) and the Income Tax Act, thereby robbing the Government of Ghana and thousands of Ghanaian workers of millions of cedis in social security and tax contributions,” the petitioners have stated.
The workers are aggrieved a company and its management would choose to systematically sabotage a country after enjoying magnanimous tax exemptions of some US$13.5 million under THE government of Ghana’s One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative.
“Alarmingly, despite these egregious violations, Keda Ghana Ceramics Company Limited has sought and been granted substantial tax exemptions under the government’s One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative. Specifically, the company received a tax waiver amounting to US$13,510,881.00 on machinery, equipment, and raw materials. This raises serious concerns about the due diligence processes in place when granting such incentives, especially to entities with a track record of non-compliance,” the petition read.
The workers have invited the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and their oversight ministries, the Finance Ministry and the Ministry of Employment, and Labour Relations to occasion a collaborative audit into the operations of the company.
They are demanding ‘A full forensic audit into Keda Ghana Ceramics Company Limited’s employment and payroll systems from 2016 to 2023.
They are additionally asking for Legal action against the company and its leadership for willful non-compliance and fraud as well as recovery of all unpaid SSNIT contributions and taxes, with penalties and interest applied.
The workers have also drawn the attention of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to review its affiliation and financing arrangements with the company based on the IFC’s own insistence on working with companies with proven track records of fair trade and labor welfare standards.
“The IFC’s Performance Standard 2 (PS2) on Labor and Working Conditions mandates that clients must treat workers fairly, provide safe and healthy working conditions, avoid the use of forced labor, and comply with national labor laws. Keda’s actions in Ghana, as outlined above, represent a clear violation of these standards,” the petition explains.
The petitioners insist the action being brought against the company is to serve as a warning to other employers exploiting workers and employing unfair trade practices to deprive the country of much needed revenues for development.
Attached in the petition :
Source: www.kumasimail.com / Ivan Heathcote – Fumador
