CEPS warns bus drivers against carrying smuggled goods

Assistant Commander Seidu Yakubu, the Sector Commander of CEPS in Sunyani has expressed grave concern about the use Yutong buses and other types of buses for the transportation of uncustomed goods and advised transport owners to warn their drivers to desist from the act.

The practice, he said, leads to evasion of taxes which run into several millions of Ghana cedis which could have been channeled into development projects.

He has therefore cautioned owners of buses to give a stern warning to their drivers to desist from using buses to transport uncustomed goods.

Assistant Commander Seidu Yakubu was briefing the media in Sunyani following the interception of a Yutong bus at the CEPS patrol point at Techiman in the Brong Ahafo region which was loaded with about 459 uncustomed gallons of cooking oil.

Sherry vegetable oil, Tradekey pure vegetable oil made in Malaysia and Jessy cooking oil which is made in Indonesia are the three main varieties of the oil which were concealed under the seats and other compartments of the bus.

The driver of the bus with registration number GN 2460-12, Atta Philip, refused to stop when he was asked to do so by officials of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service of GRA and was thus given a hot chase; resulting in the interception of the 25-litre gallons of oil, which was being transported from Bawku in the Upper East region to Kumasi.

The bus was later sent to the CEPS Sector Command in Sunyani where the owner of the goods, 28-year Adiza Swalla who was at Tamale when the bus was intercepted, was invited to assist with investigations.

The tax liability of the 495 “Kufuor” gallons of oil is estimated at Gh.c 18,119, according CEPS.

The Sector Commander said the 459 gallons of oil were imported into the country without any document covering the consignment.

Assistant Commander Seidu Yakubu was also worried that some unscrupulous people have taken undue advantage of the ECOWAS protocol on the movement of goods and services as well as other international trade agreements and protocols Ghana had signed onto; to smuggle various kinds of goods with the view to evading tax.

According to the Commander, his outfit recently intercepted another bus belonging to the Metro Mass Transit loaded with about 80 bags of uncustomed rice.

The Sector Commander therefore appealed to the public to volunteer information to CEPS as their contribution in assisting the service to weed out people who engage in such acts, saying that his outfit has set aside a handsome reward for anyone who volunteer useful information which could lead to the interception of smuggled/uncustomed goods.

“Let’s all help the GRA to mobilise revenue for the nation building”, the Sector Commander admonished.

([email protected])