The Government of Ghana has announced a ban on the land transit of selected goods as part of efforts to strengthen border controls and protect state revenue.
The directive was issued by the Minister for Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, following a meeting with the Acting Commissioner of Customs, Aaron Akanor, and the management of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority.
The meeting focused on recent developments at Ghana’s borders and measures required to safeguard government revenue.
As part of the new directive, the Minister has ordered an immediate ban on the land transit of certain products through Ghana’s borders. The affected goods include cooking oil, rice, sugar, frozen products, textiles, flour, canned tomatoes, pasta or spaghetti, and pharmaceutical products.
Under the new arrangement, these goods must now be routed exclusively through Ghana’s seaports and will no longer be allowed to enter or transit through the country via land borders.
The Finance Minister has also directed the recentralisation of the Customs Technical Services Bureau (CTSB) within the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority. The move is expected to create a one-stop shop for valuation processes and strengthen intelligence sharing among customs officials.
The system will also leverage insights generated through the Publican Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform to improve monitoring and enforcement at the country’s entry points.
According to the Minister, the measures are intended to tighten border security, reduce smuggling activities, and close revenue leakages that affect government income.
He has therefore directed all relevant departments and units within the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority to ensure strict compliance with the new directives.
The government believes the implementation of these measures will significantly strengthen customs operations and enhance the protection of Ghana’s revenue base.
