• The real deal

    The real deal

    Ghana has launched a mobile app that enables consumers and officials to check the authenticity of products for sale.

    Launched by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Ghana Tax Stamp Authenticator scans and validates excise tax stamps on products such as alcohol, non-alcoholic beverages and cigarettes, according to the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.

    According to the GRA, illegal trade in these items has resulted in significant revenue losses to Ghana.

    Consumers can now easily access information about a product by taking a photo and allowing the app to verify the tax stamp on the product.

    The chief revenue officer of the GRA’s excise unit, Kwabena Apau Awua Anto, has urged users to report any invalid tax stamps to the GRA.

    20 August 2019
    Image: Gallo/Getty Images