Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has expressed deep frustration over what he describes as massive revenue leakage at Ghana’s Tema Port, warning that he may be compelled to relocate his office there to tackle the growing smuggling menace.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Friday, July 25, Dr. Forson raised alarm over the scale of illicit trade operations happening under the radar at the country’s busiest port.
According to him, smuggled goods, especially from neighbouring Togo, are infiltrating Ghana’s market, bypassing the proper tax and customs processes.
“In the coming days, I think I may relocate my office to the Tema Port. It may have to get to that for us to see what is going on,” the Finance Minister declared.
He revealed that intelligence and whistleblower reports have exposed how goods diverted through Togo’s ports are entering Ghana illegally, undermining national revenue mobilisation and putting legitimate businesses at risk.
“You can see a lot of smuggling from the Togo port entering through Ghana, and it is a matter of significant concern. This smuggling not only takes away our revenue, but also takes away employment from Ghanaians,” he added.
The Minister added that the government is already preparing to strengthen the preventive arm of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to curb the illicit flow of goods, stressing that failure to address this issue would continue to cripple the nation’s revenue base and threaten economic recovery efforts
Source: CNR
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