Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has directed the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), to immediately ban land transit of nine selected goods and commodities, instructing that the items be routed exclusively through the country’s seaports and not through land borders.
The directive follows a meeting between the Finance Minister and the Ag. Commissioner of Customs, Aaron Kanor, and management of the Customs Division of the GRA.
The products affected by the decision include, cooking oil, rice, sugar, frozen products, textiles, flour, canned tomato, pasta, and pharmaceutical products.
“These goods must now be routed exclusively through Ghana’s seaports and will no longer be permitted to enter or transit through Ghana via land borders” the minister emphasized.
The move, according to Dr Forson, forms part of efforts to tighten border controls and address recurring revenue leakages and safeguard government revenue associated with the transit of these products through land borders.
In addition, Dr Forson also directed the recentralisation of the Customs Technical Services Bureau (CTSB). This will establish a one-stop shop for valuation and strengthen intelligence sharing, including insights generated through the Publican AI system.
Accordingly, he directed all relevant departments and units within the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority to ensure strict compliance with these directives.
Source: businesspostonline
