Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has expressed outrage over what he described as blatant complicity by customs officers in a massive revenue evasion scheme that could have cost the state more than GHS 85 million.
Speaking after an emergency visit to the Akanu and Aflao border posts, Dr. Forson condemned the actions of officers who allegedly allowed eighteen articulated trucks to travel without mandatory customs escorts and approved falsified declarations.
“This is not just negligence; it is betrayal,” the Finance Minister reportedly told officials during a closed-door meeting, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
The trucks, which were declared as carrying goods in transit to Niger, had duties initially assessed at GHS 2.6 million. However, detailed inspections later uncovered widespread under-declaration, misclassification, and manipulation of cargo weights. The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) now estimates the true revenue exposure at approximately GHS 85.3 million.
Twelve of the trucks have been impounded, while one overturned during an attempt to evade authorities, spilling its contents onto the road. Six trucks remain unaccounted for, and investigations are ongoing to track them and identify all individuals involved.
Dr. Forson was said to be visibly angered by what he described as “systemic control failures and human complicity,” signalling deep-rooted corruption within the customs system. He ordered immediate disciplinary and criminal investigations into the conduct of the officers and clearing agents involved.
In response to the incident, the Finance Ministry has announced a ban on land transit of cooking oil, tightened monitoring at all land collection points, and directed the GRA and security agencies to prosecute all suspects.
Officials say the case exposes vulnerabilities in Ghana’s border management and revenue collection systems, raising concerns about how much revenue may have been lost through similar schemes in the past.
The GRA has assured the public that reforms are underway to strengthen oversight and prevent future revenue leakages, as the Finance Minister vowed that “no one will be shielded” in the ongoing investigations.
