Govt to meet Free Zones Authority, Trade Ministry over Customs Act concerns

The government is set to meet the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry and the Ghana Free Zones Authority next week to address concerns raised by free zone enterprises over the new Customs Act, 2026.

The meeting, which is expected to take place after the Finance Minister returns from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) meetings, will seek to resolve concerns from businesses over changes to customs regulations which they say have reduced some of the incentives previously available to them.

President John Dramani Mahama disclosed this during a visit to DTRT, a Ghanaian-owned garment manufacturing company.

He acknowledged concerns from the Free Zones industry over provisions in the new legislation and assured businesses that the government was committed to supporting their growth.

“I know that there has been some new legislation under the new Customs Act, which the Free Zones industries are complaining about because it has rolled back some of the incentives they received,” President Mahama said.

“So, you can be assured that government is 100% behind you. We are going to help you so that you can grow your industries,” he added.

The President said the government was determined to create an enabling environment and provide appropriate incentives to businesses, particularly local investors, to increase production and create employment opportunities.

He stressed that domestic businesses should receive the same level of government support as foreign investors.

“We do not roll out the red carpet only for foreign investors. We roll it out also for domestic investors,” he said.

The planned engagement between the relevant government agencies and the Free Zones Authority is expected to examine the concerns raised by businesses and determine measures to address them.