Deputy Finance Minister flags alleged collusion between customs officers and importers
23rd February 2026
Deputy Minister of Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has raised renewed concerns over revenue leakages at Ghana’s borders, alleging that a segment of officers within the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) are colluding with importers to deliberately undervalue goods and short-change the state.
His remarks followed the interception of 18 articulated trucks at the Akanu and Aflao border posts on February 18, 2026, a development that has once again put border enforcement under scrutiny.
The trucks, reportedly declared as in transit to Niger, were carrying assorted goods including cooking oil, spaghetti, and tomato paste. Suspicion arose when the vehicles were found moving without the mandatory customs human escort, a critical requirement under established transit procedures.
Customs officials intercepted the trucks over irregularities in documentation and movement, with initial assessments indicating the consignments could represent a potential revenue loss of GH¢85.3 million, though a preliminary figure of GH¢2.62 million has so far been verified.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, February 23, 2026, Nyarko Ampem said the problem of officers allegedly aiding importers to manipulate declarations is not new.
“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 shows it has been happening and has been monitored for some time,” he said.
While acknowledging that most customs officers perform their duties diligently, the deputy minister indicated that a small group continues to undermine national revenue efforts.
“There are some bad nuts in customs who are aiding importers to defraud the nation. When the good ones realised it, they decided to act,” he stated.
According to Ampem, two officers officially logged in to escort the trucks failed to carry out the assignment. When questioned, they gave varying explanations, raising further suspicion and prompting the finance minister to order a full-scale investigation.
The deputy minister stressed that the government remains committed to tightening controls at entry points. Practices such as under-declaration, undervaluation, and diversion of goods continue to undermine domestic revenue mobilization at a time when the country needs every cedi to support development.
He assured the public that any officers found culpable would face the full rigours of the law, as authorities continue reforms aimed at strengthening customs enforcement and protecting the nation’s revenue base.