GRA reacts to report on alleged smuggling at borders of Ghana

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has responded to allegations of smuggling at the country’s borders, absolving its customs officers of any wrongdoing.

It said a preventive wing of the Customs Division of GRA has in place a taskforce to tackle smuggling at border points across the country.

In a reaction to a news item produced by Joy News, the GRA said its taskforce works together with officers stationed at various frontier stations to ensure that goods entering the country have passed through the proper customs controls for payment of duties.

Some arrests of smugglers have been made according to the Authority.

“GRA is fully committed to ensuring that all staff work with integrity and has therefore commenced investigations into officers identified in the video production, and any officer found culpable will be sanctioned accordingly”, it further said in a statement.

The GRA has assured that it will tackle the issue of smuggling and tax evasion head-on.

In the meantime, GRA says it has instituted an Informant Award Scheme to reward persons volunteering information leading to the recovery of tax.

Those with such confidential information are being encouraged to call GRA on 0800-900-110 and “we assure them that the information will be treated with utmost confidentiality”.

If the information leads to the recovery of taxes, the informant will receive cash amounts in line with the informant policy.