The Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) has called for an independent technical reconciliation into the enforcement action involving 18 trucks linked to a disputed Bill of Entry (BOE), warning that poorly calibrated transit restrictions could damage Ghana’s standing as a preferred gateway to the Sahel.
Addressing a press conference at the Institute’s National Secretariat in Tema on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, GIFF’s General Secretary, Paul Kobina Mensah, alongside its President, Stephen Adjokatcher, urged the government to avoid policy responses that could undermine Ghana’s transit trade competitiveness.
The intervention follows allegations that 18 trucks associated with BOE number 80226125039 diverted from their approved transit corridor, prompting enforcement measures and subsequent policy tightening.
GIFF appealed directly to the Minister for Finance to undertake what it described as an urgent, evidence-based review of the recent transit policy measures introduced in response to the incident. While stressing that it does not condone illegality, the Institute maintained that enforcement must be proportionate and grounded in verified facts.
According to GIFF’s reconstruction of events, all 18 trucks remained electronically visible throughout the episode, as confirmed by the official tracking operator. The six trucks initially reported missing were later traced and physically verified. The Institute further explained that deviation alerts were triggered after enforcement officers redirected the trucks to the Tema Transit Yard, which falls outside the originally declared corridor.
GIFF argued that available evidence suggests the electronic control system operated as designed, making early conclusions of wrongdoing premature.
The Institute cautioned that sweeping restrictions could inadvertently penalise compliant operators and introduce uncertainty into Ghana’s transit regime. It noted that international trade norms recognise a trader’s right to optimise costs, time and routing within legal limits, with corridor selection often influenced by port charges, cargo dwell time and procedural efficiency.
While acknowledging legitimate areas for reform — including escort policy consistency, transit bond adequacy, route dwell monitoring and post-clearance reconciliation — GIFF insisted that such concerns should be addressed through targeted, intelligence-led controls rather than broad commodity-based restrictions.
The Institute warned that transit trade is highly sensitive to regulatory signals. Indiscriminate tightening, it said, could prompt Sahel-bound cargo to shift gradually to competing coastal corridors, leading to underutilisation of Ghana’s transit infrastructure and reduced customs volumes in the medium term. Cargo owners in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, GIFF observed, have alternative routing options and are quick to respond to perceived administrative friction.
The Institute also pointed to possible diplomatic implications within the West African transit ecosystem, where corridor policies can trigger reciprocal measures. If Ghana is seen as broadly restricting transit access, neighbouring states may introduce mirror administrative controls or recalibrate bilateral transit arrangements. GIFF stressed that Ghana’s leadership in the African Continental Free Trade Area era depends on firm but facilitative compliance enforcement.
As part of a proposed reform package, the Institute recommended risk-tiered escort protocols, real-time reconciliation dashboards linking ICUMS and tracking data, strengthened transit bond reviews, the creation of a joint Customs–Ghana Link anomaly review cell, and sanctions strictly targeted at proven offenders. It further called on the Minister to reassess the proportionality of current measures, convene structured stakeholder engagement, reaffirm Ghana’s commitment to freedom of transit under enhanced compliance, and issue clear guidance distinguishing confirmed diversion from enforcement-stage anomalies.
GIFF reiterated its support for the state’s revenue protection mandate, insisting that enforcement credibility and trade facilitation must advance together to preserve Ghana’s transit advantage.
The Institute’s position aligns with a separate statement issued on February 20, 2026, by Ghana Link Network Services, operators of the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), which said all 18 trucks were fully visible on its tracking platform and none had gone missing.
Meanwhile, sections of the freight and logistics industry have questioned the Finance Minister’s response to the episode, suggesting it may have been based on incomplete briefings. Concerns have also been raised over alleged procedural lapses, including the reported rejection of calls from assigned escorts who are said to have confirmed the trucks’ documentation status, the failure to issue a formal detention notice before examining the cargo, and the conduct of examinations without the presence of the agent and cargo owner.
Mr Adjokatcher, who also serves as Vice President of FIATA, stated that the transaction involving the 18 trucks was lawful and did not violate any regulations or constitute a crime. He emphasised that, mindful of the importance of government revenue mobilisation efforts, GIFF and its members would not engage in actions that could undermine the national interest.
Also present at the press conference were several other executives, including Mr. Eddie Akron, the Institute’s immediate past President, Mr. Kwabena Ofosu Appiah, a former President of the Institute, Mr. Abijah Osabutey-Ayor, the Institute’s Aflao District Chairman, and Madam Rejoice Adoboe, the Institute’s District Chairperson for Kotoka International Airport.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh