Accra, February 20, 2026 – Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson has announced strict enforcement measures following the discovery of a transit diversion scheme that exposed Ghana to GH¢85,306,578.33 in unpaid taxes.
The minister made the announcement after personally visiting the Akanu and Aflao border posts, just 48 hours after the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) intercepted 18 articulated trucks in a night operation along the Dawhenya-Tema Road.
The trucks, electronically cleared from the Akanu Border Post and destined for Kulungugu en route to Niger, were carrying 44,055 packages weighing 879,860 kilograms under Bill of Entry Number 80226125039. Field surveillance revealed that the vehicles were moving without the mandatory Customs Human Escorts, a requirement under Ghanaian law.
While initial duties were assessed at GH¢2,619,748.81, post-inspection revealed significant discrepancies in declared unit values, tariff classifications, and weights, raising the total tax exposure to GH¢85,306,578.33.
Twelve of the 18 trucks were physically secured, with eleven moved to the Tema Transit Yard for detailed inspection and legal processing. Alarmingly, the vehicles had passed through the Dabala Customs Checkpoint undetected, highlighting systemic weaknesses and human complicity at the borders.
Speaking to Customs officials, Dr Forson stressed that the scheme was harming Ghana’s domestic edible oil industry.
“The edible companies in Tema are threatening to shut down because of your activities,” he said, warning of consequences for both revenue loss and competitive damage to local manufacturers.
The minister issued three immediate directives to the GRA:
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All land transit of cooking oil is banned with immediate effect. Consignments must now move exclusively through Ghana’s seaports.
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All transactions from land collection points will undergo enhanced monitoring, tracking, and strict compliance enforcement.
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Disciplinary and criminal proceedings will be pursued against any Customs officer, importer, or clearing agent found culpable.
“The full rigours of the law will be applied,” Dr Forson emphasized.
Industry observers have noted that a previous seaport-only ban on palm oil led to surges in smuggling, particularly by Lebanese-linked traders, and have urged a review to balance revenue protection with trade facilitation.
Ghana Link Network Services Limited, which operates the electronic tracking system, confirmed that all 18 trucks were located through playback data and physical verification, contradicting earlier reports that six trucks were missing. The recovered trucks were found at locations including Aflao, the Aflao-Accra toll booth, West Point Filling Station at Tsopoli, Galaxy Filling Station at Dawhenya, and Akanu, and the information has been transmitted to Customs for follow-up action.
