As the Coca-Cola Managing Director Mr Felix Gomis paid a courtesy visit to the Commissioner of Customs and Commissioner General it was revealed that over $700,000 which is about 150,000 crates smuggled from Nigeria into Ghana per month. Halt
A recent press report has exposed significant sugar and rice smuggling operations into Ghana from Togo, resulting in an estimated loss of 1.3 billion in taxes. The report reveals that smugglers are bringing in large quantities of sugar through Ghana’s borders, particularly from Togo, and selling it in local markets without paying taxes.
This illicit activity is negatively impacting Ghana’s economy and local businesses and communities.
The ramifications of smuggling extend beyond economic disruption. It contributes to fluctuating prices, undermines local businesses, and erodes public trust in regulatory systems. This is key to calling the attention of the Ghana Revenue Authority for immediate action as expected against the companies involved.
It’s worth noting that Ghana has also been struggling with smuggling issues in other sectors. For instance, the country lost a significant amount of cocoa to smugglers last season, with over 160,000 tons of cocoa being smuggled out of the country. The government has promised strict working strategies to combat smuggling by deploying special personnel to check on its officers and intercept smuggled goods.
Meanwhile, according to Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, Commissioner-General of GRA the reset of the economy is an agenda to support businesses to grow hence strategies must be adopted to enable GRA raise the needed domestic revenue.
According to him, their actions and strategies are geared towards ensuring that the acts of smuggling are nib in the bud and help the domestic market to grow.
He said they will work as partners to help kick away the smuggling issues.
