By Godfred A. Polkuu, GNA
Zuarungu (U/E) Dec. 10, GNA – The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in the Upper East Region has intercepted a Yutong bus loaded with uncustomed goods at the Balungu barrier in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region.
The bus, with registration number GN 2526 – 10, loaded with motorbike spare parts, bundles of wax prints, bags of foreign rice, some medical consumables and solar panels among others was on its way to Kumasi from Togo.
The Sector Commander of the Customs Division of the GRA in the Upper East Region, Assistant Commissioner (AC), Mr Baffour Yaw Asare, who briefed the media after the goods were offloaded and thoroughly inspected, observed that the trading public took advantage of the closure of barriers in the country to abuse the system by avoiding customs duty payments.
He said management decided to open about ten barriers across the country, and the Balungu barrier in the Region was re-opened, “because that is where almost everybody leaving the Region goes through, we thought that if we opened the Balungu barrier, we will be able to stop things going out of the Region.”
The AC anticipated that with the yuletide season, there would be attempts to smuggle goods through the barriers, and expressed hope that with the vigilance of his officers, they would be able to minimise the movement of uncustomed goods.
“They had free access to the roads without any fear, but now with this, Iam sure that it will put some fear in the smugglers and compel them to go through the approved routes and pay the necessary revenue that is required.”
AC Asare urged the business community and members of the public to use approved routes, because government at some point reduced the benchmark values by up to 50 per cent, and explained that the reduction had reduced duty by 50 per cent because the benchmark value was the bases on which they calculated duties on goods.
He expressed worry that in spite of the reduction, the trading public was not self-compliant, “It doesn’t pay if the duty has been reduced and you still want to smuggle. It means you are not keeping faith with the country,” he said.
AC Asare said in terms of import duties and Value Added Taxes (VAT), the Region was supposed to collect about GH¢18 million a year, and disclosed that his outfit was about GH¢ 2million left to hit the target this year because the barriers were closed.
Mr Foster Kwasi Kudese, the Principal Revenue Officer (PRO) in charge of Preventive at the Customs Division of the GRA, who led his officers to inspect the goods, said his outfit was on “a red degree alert” for smugglers.
He said the goods would be detained for further investigations and the appropriate action would be taken, “we are going to take statements from the driver and his other accomplices.”
GNA
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