‘Bad nuts’ in customs aiding importers to defraud Ghana — Deputy Minister for Finance

The Deputy Minister for Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has alleged that some officers within the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) are colluding with importers to undervalue goods, resulting in significant revenue losses to the state.

His comments follow the interception of 18 articulated trucks at the Akanu and Aflao borders on February 18, 2026.

The trucks, which were declared to be in transit to Niger, were carrying assorted goods including cooking oil, spaghetti and tomato paste. They were intercepted by the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) over suspicions of irregularities.

The vehicles were allegedly moving without the mandatory customs human escort, a serious breach of established transit procedures.

The consignments are estimated to represent potential lost revenue of GH¢85.3 million, with an initial assessment pegged at GH¢2.62 million.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, February 23, 2026, Mr Nyarko Ampem indicated that the issue of customs officers aiding importers to manipulate declarations has been a longstanding concern.

According to him, although customs procedures mandate that officers escort transit goods across the country, the two officers assigned to accompany the trucks were absent at the time of interception.

“The customs have been tracking them. I have seen a letter that one of the officers wrote to the Aflao border, not to allow those goods to come in. This means that it is something that has been happening and they have been monitoring it for a while,” he revealed.

Mr Ampem further alleged that while many officers act professionally, a few “bad nuts” within the system collaborate with importers to defraud the nation through practices such as undervaluation and diversion of goods.

“There are some bad nuts in customs who are aiding importers to defraud the nation. So, when the good ones realised it, they decided to act,” he stated.

He disclosed that the two officers who were officially booked in the system to escort the trucks failed to do so and later offered various explanations when questioned. This development, he said, prompted the Finance Minister to order an investigation into the matter.

The Deputy Minister stressed that the government is determined to clamp down on revenue leakages at the borders, particularly practices involving under-declaration and undervaluation of imports, which undermine domestic revenue mobilisation efforts.

He assured that any officers found culpable will face the full rigours of the law as part of broader reforms aimed at strengthening customs enforcement and safeguarding national revenue.

-citinewsroom