CEPS exceeds half-year target in the Ashanti Region

The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in the Ashanti Region has exceeded its revenue target for the first six months of the year.

The command had collected GH¢305.281 million by the first week of July against the year’s target of GH¢285.640 million.

Officials say revenue collection over the years has been difficult because of high default rate by warehousing and manufacturing companies.

Kumasi is touted as the trading hub and commercial capital of the nation.

Officials of the Authority describe it as the second largest revenue collection point after Tema.

Almost every import ends up in Kumasi and so it is very crucial in revenue mobilization.

Though smuggling has been on the ascendancy in the region, import and other levies were lagging behind at about 11.29 percent, with Import VAT, in adverse of 6.77 percent.

But there are other areas, according to the Ashanti Regional Commander for the Customs Division, Assistant Commissioner, Kwesi Ahiakpor, that were not considered - manufacturing and warehousing.

He said they are looking at improving the areas where they did not perform well.

Mr Ahiakpor is however excited by the progress made so far as he predicts what he described as rollicking times ahead.

He said the old warehousing regime is that people go and lift their goods from the port in Tema and don’t pay duties as they warehouse them.

“In this area of warehousing you realize that there is so much duty. People are dealing in cooking oil and alcohol-they are high duty goods so i have to strengthen the warehousing area,” he said.

According to Mr Ahiakpor, companies owed as much as GH¢22 million of tax and duties, when he took over in the last quarter of 2015.

To address what was a perennial hike in non-payment of duties and tax evasion, the Kumasi division went into an agreement with tax defaulting companies that ensured they honoured their tax obligations.