Deputy Minister for Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem
Deputy Minister of Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has raised fresh concerns about revenue leakages at Ghana’s borders, alleging that a section of officers within the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) are colluding with importers to deliberately undervalue goods and short-change the state.
His comments come in the wake of the interception of 18 articulated trucks at the Akanu and Aflao border posts on February 18, 2026, a development that has once again brought border enforcement under scrutiny.
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The trucks, reportedly declared as being in transit to Niger, were loaded with assorted goods including cooking oil, spaghetti, and tomato paste.
However, suspicions were raised when the vehicles were found moving without the mandatory customs human escort, a critical requirement under established transit procedures.
Customs officials moved in and intercepted the trucks over what they described as irregularities in the documentation and movement process.
Initial assessments suggest the consignments could represent a potential revenue loss of GH¢85.3 million, although a preliminary figure of GH¢2.62 million has so far been established.
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Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, February 23, 2026, Nyarko Ampem said the problem of officers allegedly aiding importers to manipulate declarations is not new.
“The customs have been tracking them. I have seen a letter that one of the officers wrote to the Aflao border, not to allow those goods to come in. This means that it is something that has been happening and they have been monitoring it for a while,” he said.
While acknowledging that many customs officers discharge their duties diligently, the deputy minister suggested that a small group within the system continues to undermine national revenue efforts.
“There are some bad nuts in customs who are aiding importers to defraud the nation. So, when the good ones realised it, they decided to act,” he stated.
According to Ampem, two officers who were officially logged in the system to escort the trucks failed to carry out the assignment.
When questioned, they reportedly offered varying explanations, a development that triggered further suspicion and prompted the finance minister to order a full-scale investigation.
Beyond the immediate case, the deputy minister stressed that the government remains committed to tightening controls at the country’s entry points.
He noted that practices such as under-declaration, undervaluation, and diversion of goods continue to undermine domestic revenue mobilisation at a time when the country needs every cedi to support development.
He assured the public that any officers found culpable would face the full rigours of the law, as authorities push ahead with reforms aimed at strengthening customs enforcement and protecting the nation’s revenue base.
NA/VPO
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Source:
www.ghanaweb.com