The Deputy Minister of Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has directed the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to conclude investigations within one week following the interception of 12 articulated trucks over suspected duty underassessment.
The trucks, intercepted by the Customs Division along the Dawhenya–Tema Road during a late-night operation, were found carrying more than 44,000 gallons of oil, tomato paste, and spaghetti.
Officials revealed that the consignment was initially assessed at GH¢2.6 million in duties but was later recalculated at GH¢85.3 million.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show, Mr. Ampem said authorities are tracking two Customs officers believed to have been involved in the initial assessment.
“I have given the Commissioner-General one week to investigate and uncover all the discrepancies. The revenue that passes through Customs and fails to reach the government is quite alarming. The law will take its course, and we may need to auction off the goods to recover the government’s revenue,” he stated.
He disclosed that an Artificial Intelligence system has been deployed to support the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), starting in Tema, to ensure accurate duty assessments.
Mr. Ampem also alleged that tracking devices on the trucks had been disabled.
“Additionally, we discovered that the Customs tracker on the trucks had been disabled. The Customs team managed to recalculate and verify that the accurate duty should have been GH¢85 million, rather than the previously assessed GH¢2.6 million. We are seeking to identify who conducted the initial assessment and those on duty who failed to perform their checks,” he said.
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