Ghana’s government has banned the transit of commercial quantities of cooking oil through its land borders, ordering that all such consignments be routed exclusively through the country’s seaports.
The directive was issued by Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minister of Finance, following the interception of several trucks suspected to be involved in a transit diversion scheme.
Officials said 18 articulated trucks had been declared as carrying goods in transit to Niger but were later found to have breached established customs procedures.
Under the new measure, cooking oil shipments entering Ghana for onward delivery to landlocked countries will no longer be processed at land border collection points. Instead, they must pass through designated seaports, where authorities say stricter valuation systems, electronic tracking, scanning infrastructure and layered customs controls are in place.
The decision follows a recent visit by the Finance Minister, his deputy Thomas Nyarko Ampem and the Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), George Kwasi Sarpong, to land border posts in the Ketu South Municipality and Ketu North District.
Revenue discrepancies
Authorities say post-interception examinations uncovered significant discrepancies in declared unit values, tariff classifications and cargo weights.
The revised assessment increased the estimated revenue exposure from about GH¢2.6m ($—) to more than GH¢85m.
Preliminary findings suggested that 12 of the intercepted trucks, carrying 44,055 packages of assorted goods including cooking oil, spaghetti and tomato paste, were part of a group of 18 vehicles that had been electronically cleared from the customs system.
Although the trucks were declared as transit goods from the Akanu border post in the Volta Region to Niger via Kulungugu, officials said they were moving without the mandatory customs escort, in violation of transit regulations.
Following the operation, 11 trucks were transferred to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority transit terminal in Tema for further examination under strict customs supervision. One vehicle that developed a mechanical fault was offloaded onto another truck.
Tighter enforcement
In addition to the ban on land transit of cooking oil in commercial quantities, Dr Forson has directed the GRA to introduce enhanced monitoring and stricter compliance enforcement at land collection points.
Measures will include intensified cargo tracking, reinforced escort protocols and tighter supervisory oversight.
The minister has also ordered disciplinary proceedings against any customs officers found culpable in similar breaches. Criminal investigations are being extended to importers and clearing agents where evidence supports prosecution.
Officials say the steps are intended not only to protect state revenue but also to shield local edible oil producers from unfair competition linked to diverted transit goods.
The government has said it will apply the full rigour of the law, including confiscation and auction of impounded goods where necessary, to prevent abuse of Ghana’s customs regime.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
