The Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders has urged the government to reassess recent transit policy measures following a joint enforcement operation by officials of the Ghana Revenue Authority Customs Division and National Security.
The operation resulted in the interception of 12 articulated trucks carrying substantial quantities of food items, representing what authorities described as a significant potential revenue loss to the state.
Addressing a press conference in Tema on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, the General Secretary of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders, Paul Kobina Mensah, said the Institute did not condone illegal activity but cautioned that policy responses must strike a balance between safeguarding revenue and preserving Ghana’s position as a preferred transit hub for Sahel-bound cargo.
He disclosed that all 18 trucks involved in the matter had been electronically tracked, explaining that six vehicles initially reported missing were later physically verified.
Mr Mensah said route deviations occurred after enforcement-related diversions to the Tema Transit Yard, which lies outside the declared transit corridor, arguing that the episode demonstrated the operational integrity of the tracking system rather than systemic failure.
In the aftermath of the incident, the government banned the land transit of cooking oil through Ghana’s borders, directing that all such consignments be routed exclusively through the country’s seaports. The directive, issued by the Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, is intended to close loopholes that have exposed the state to revenue losses.
The Institute, however, warned that sweeping restrictions could create unintended consequences. “Broad restrictions, if not carefully calibrated, may unintentionally penalize compliant operators and destabilize the transit regime,” Mr Mensah said.
He emphasised that traders have the right to optimise cost, time and routing within legal frameworks, noting that corridor selection is often a rational response to port charges, cargo dwell times and procedural efficiency.
While acknowledging the need for reform in certain areas, including escort policy consistency, transit bond adequacy, route dwell monitoring and post-clearance reconciliation, the GIFF argued that such concerns should be addressed through targeted, intelligence-led controls rather than blanket commodity restrictions.
The Institute further cautioned that transit trade is highly sensitive to policy signals and warned that tighter controls could divert Sahel-bound cargo to competing corridors, reduce the utilisation of Ghana’s transit infrastructure and lower Customs volumes.
Mr Mensah noted that cargo owners in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali have alternative routes and respond swiftly to perceived regulatory friction.
He also pointed to possible diplomatic implications, suggesting that broad tightening of transit access could prompt neighbouring countries to impose reciprocal administrative barriers and adjust corridor preferences away from Ghana.
According to Mr Mensah, Ghana’s leadership in the African Continental Free Trade Area era would be better secured through firm but facilitative compliance enforcement. He called for reforms centred on risk-based escorts, incident reconciliation, stakeholder engagement and clearer guidance to distinguish genuine diversion from enforcement anomalies.
The President of the Institute, Stephen Adjokatcher, reaffirmed support for government efforts to protect revenue, stressing that enforcement and trade facilitation must work in tandem to safeguard Ghana’s transit advantage.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh