The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has defended the handling of a customs duty payment involving a passenger at the Accra International Airport, insisting that the GH¢807.68 assessed on her luggage was fully accounted for despite allegations of extortion against Customs officers.
In a statement issued on October 9, 2026, the Authority said preliminary investigations into the incident involving Gifty Osei Bonsu established that a temporary failure of its payment system prevented officers from immediately issuing an official receipt.
According to the GRA, Ms Bonsu arrived in Ghana aboard an Egypt Air flight on October 3 and was referred for further checks after her luggage was selected for inspection at the Red Channel in the airport’s Arrivals Hall.
The examination reportedly uncovered 20 pairs of new women’s shoes, nine new women’s dresses, 18 new men’s shirts and four new wigs.
Customs officers subsequently assessed a duty of GH¢807.68 on the 20 pairs of shoes.
However, the Authority said the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) was temporarily unavailable, disrupting the payment process and delaying the issuance of an official receipt.
The GRA explained that Ms Bonsu, who indicated that she needed to catch a flight, initially paid GH¢600 towards the duty. A friend later paid another GH¢200, bringing the amount collected to GH¢800.
The system was restored after the passenger had left the airport, allowing the full duty to be paid into the GRA’s revenue account at Ecobank Ghana Limited on the same day. An official receipt was subsequently issued in Ms Bonsu’s name.
The Authority added that the Customs officers involved used their personal funds to cover the outstanding GH¢7.68 difference between the amount collected and the assessed duty.
“The Authority wishes to assure the public that the transaction was undertaken in good faith and that the assessed duty was duly accounted for,” the statement said.
Despite defending the transaction, the GRA acknowledged the delay in providing the service and apologised to Ms Bonsu for the inconvenience.
It said alternative arrangements had been introduced to support passenger services whenever the customs system experiences interruptions.
The Authority has also begun reviewing its standard operating procedures for Customs officers dealing with travellers at the country’s entry points.
The review will focus on professional communication, transparency in duty assessment and collection, and the proper documentation of transactions.
In addition, the GRA said it was developing an improved passenger information process to provide clearer guidance on customs requirements, how duties are calculated and paid, and the channels available for passengers to seek clarification, dispute assessments or lodge complaints.
