Customs Commissioner assures Aflao women traders to address illegal border extortion

The Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr Aaron Kanor, has assured cross-border traders operating between Ghana and Togo of measures to address illegal extortion and improve trade facilitation following a meeting with members of the Cross-Border Women Traders Association in Aflao.

The engagement formed part of the Commissioner's working tour of the Aflao border post and provided a platform for traders to raise concerns affecting their businesses and discuss ways of strengthening collaboration with Customs to enhance revenue mobilisation.

The Commissioner stressed the importance of compliance with customs regulations, explaining that there are officially only four Customs checkpoints on the import route into Ghana.

He also clarified that goods exported to Togo are not subject to customs duty.

He reiterated that the mandate of Customs is to facilitate legitimate trade and ensure that traders pay the appropriate duties and taxes without being subjected to exploitation or unfair treatment.

The Aflao Sector Commander, Assistant Commissioner Emmanuel Reginald Duh, assured the traders of Customs' commitment to supporting the growth of their businesses.

He pledged to investigate reports of unlawful extortion at border points and emphasised that any payments demanded outside officially sanctioned Customs taxes are illegal.

Members of the association, predominantly small and medium-scale traders, expressed concern over the numerous checkpoints operated by various agencies along the import corridor into Ghana, which they said create challenges for their trading activities.

The meeting underscored the importance of continued engagement between Customs authorities and the trading community in addressing challenges at the border while promoting voluntary compliance and economic growth.