The goods were over 9000 jerry cans of cooking oil. The total import duties on these smuggled goods are valued at approximately GHS 1.9 million. Mr Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, Acting Commissioner-General, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), at a press briefing, said these items were falsely declared as transit goods using Burkina Faso as their destination. 

This was done because transit goods do not attract payment of duties. He said the trucks’ tracking devices were deliberately disabled to avoid detection while the goods were diverted into a warehouse in the Tema enclave. 

Similar enforcement actions were conducted at the Aflao Collection enclave where multiple trucks suspected of carrying uncustomed goods were also intercepted. He said the intercepted goods include rice, sugar, tomato paste, beverages, textiles and clothes and these items were either misclassified or undervalued. 

“The estimated duties is about Ghc1.7million These two operations have combined prevented the loss of significant government revenue amounting to approximately GHS3.6million thereby safeguarding public resources,” he said. Mr Sarpong said all the goods had been confiscated and under the control of the GRA for the recovery of taxes.

He said the proceeds from the sales would be credited directly into the state’s accounts. Furthermore, truck owners involved in these acts will be surcharged as a deterrent for facilitating the movement of goods without payment of duties. He said the success of these operations underscore the collaboration between the Authority and other security agencies. 

Mr Sarpong said the Customs Division of the Authority operated in synergy with officers stationed at various border and frontier points nationwide to ensure that all goods entering the country comply with Customs regulations and required duties duly paid. 

He said, “Smuggling kills businesses, takes away job opportunities and denies the state the necessary revenue for national development.” ” If you smuggle and we arrest you, we will confiscate your goods and you will lose your capital to the State,” he added. 

He called on the public to avoid smuggling and save their businesses, urging them to know the taxes they pay help to build Ghana.

The Acting Commissioner-General said GRA would continue to arrest individuals involved in smuggling activities, protect the border against unauthorised movements, and actively identify and close off multiple illegal routes used for evading duty payments. He assured the public, businesses and all stakeholders that the GRA would relentlessly pursue its mandate of border protection and revenue collection. He said the Authority would not tolerate any attempts to circumvent the systems, calling on businesses, who were genuinely complying with tax obligations to continue to do so. 

Mr Sarpong, however, said they would apply all necessary enforcement measures to curtail activities of all individuals and businesses that do not comply with the law, particularly smuggling. “I call upon all stakeholders, especially the media and the public, to partner with GRA by sharing any information or evidence related to smuggling or tax evasion,” he added. 

He said such intelligence was invaluable to GRA’s efforts and would be treated with the highest confidentiality. The Acting Commissioner-General said to encourage public cooperation, “we have instituted an Informant Award Scheme.” Under this scheme, individuals or organizations providing credible, actionable information leading to tax recovery will receive monetary rewards in accordance with our Informant Policy.