The Satellite Desk can authoritatively reveal that the Freetown City Council (FCC) Mayor, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, allegedly stands accused of engaging a cross section of top business owners in the capital to resist the National Revenue Authority (NRA) Electronic Cash Register (ECR) machines.

Businesses in the capital Freetown had remained closed last Thursday and Friday in protest against the installation of ECR Machines by NRA in several business entities with more than Le100,000,000 (One Hundred Million Leones) turnover income.

ECR is not a tax but a machine that enables government to generate the needed Goods and Services Tax (GST) formally called Value Added Tax (VAT) which is often paid by purchasers of goods and services.

But with the opposition trying to create unnecessary political tension to the gullible masses, the Mayor was reported holding secret meetings with top importers and other business tycoons in a bid to continue opposing government policy that was passed into law by Parliament in 2009 and became fully effective in 2010.

A lot of misunderstanding exists between NRA and businesses, with the former stating that the machines are for use by businesses with turnover of Le100 million.

NRA maintains the machines are to ensure transparency in business transactions and the efficient and fair collection of taxes.

According to The Satellite Newspaper, the ECR System has regulations that compel taxpayers with Le100 million turnover to buy and install the ECR machines in their shops before they would be permitted to do business. The regulations also have sections where business people would be handed down penalties including jail terms where they default.