Ghanaian Businesses Hit Hard as Bento Fails to Meet Tax and Pension Obligations

Multiple sources confirm that Bento Africa’s failure to remit taxes and pensions for some of its Ghanaian clients stems from poor documentation and a high employee turnover rate. According to an insider, “Bento, over the years, has failed to document information that clients give to them. Clients provide employee tax numbers and salary details at registration, yet months later, they are still being asked for the same information. This leads to delays, and in some cases, Bento collects the money but doesn’t file the taxes.”

The situation came to light when a former employee of a business that previously used Bento in Ghana noticed discrepancies in January 2023. The company discovered that withholding taxes, Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) contributions, and PAYE deductions had not been filed. Reaching out to Bento for clarification proved challenging, as rapid staff turnover made it difficult to find anyone who could resolve the issue.

“Eventually, all the staff left, and then the MD/CEO stepped in. He assured me that I should send emails, and he would respond. I sent emails upon emails, and Ebun did not mind me during this time. As I speak to you, we have withholding taxes and PAYE of more than GH₵ 12,000,” the former employee disclosed.

A Pattern of Non-Compliance

Despite promises to rectify the issue, Bento reportedly failed to pay seven months’ worth of PAYE and pension contributions. The lack of action triggered penalties from Ghana’s tax authorities, further exacerbating the financial strain on affected businesses. Some frustrated clients resorted to filing complaints in an attempt to pressure Bento into paying the fines. However, the company’s internal financial struggles often led to further delays.

A former employee explained, “I have seen cases where Bento had to pay penalties because they failed to remit taxes on time. But then, a few months later, there wouldn’t be enough funds to make future tax payments because of these penalties. The company would then delay filings again, leading to even more penalties; it’s a vicious cycle.”

One of the key reasons behind Bento’s recurring failures appears to be its inability to retain employees. With less than 15 employees in its Ghanaian operations, the company’s frequent departures and poor documentation culture meant that new hires struggled to access necessary records, causing further delays in tax filings.

“If you don’t have the right data, you can’t file the taxes. And if new employees keep coming in without proper handovers, tax deadlines will be missed. Clients would complain that Bento had taken their money but hadn’t filed their taxes, leading to penalties that Bento was not prepared to pay,” another source revealed.

Bento’s Expansion Woes

Bento expanded to Ghana, Kenya, and Rwanda in 2021, but its struggles in Ghana closely mirror its tax compliance issues in Nigeria. In the latter, CEO Ebun Okubanjo has blamed the country’s complex tax system for the company’s failures. However, the repeated nature of these incidents suggests that Bento’s internal operations, rather than regulatory challenges, may be at the heart of the problem.

When contacted by a media outlet, Okubanjo did not provide any comments on the allegations. With businesses in Ghana now facing financial penalties due to Bento’s lapses, concerns are growing over whether the startup expanded too quickly without ensuring proper operational structures were in place

As affected businesses demand accountability, the question remains—can Bento recover from yet another compliance scandal, or will its expansion ambitions continue to outpace its ability to deliver?