Container Confiscated In Ashanti Region For Failure To Pay Required Duty

Customs officials have successfully intercepted a container filled with goods at Adiembra, a suburb of the Kumasi Metropolis in the Ashanti Region.

Officials discovered the owner had failed to pay the required duty on the container. He was apprehended while unloading the undeclared goods.

Upon examination, it was revealed that the importer had refused to pay duty on a vehicle and five motorbikes brought into the country.

The case has been referred to the investigative department of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority for further inquiry.

Kwame Agyemang Badu, the officer in charge of Preventive at the Customs Division, explained that the interception occurred based on intelligence received regarding the container in Adiembra.

Acting swiftly, the customs team arrived and found the container loaded onto a truck.

The sector commander then instructed the detention of the goods pending further investigations.

This incident follows recent accusations by the Importers and Exporters Association, claiming unfair targeting of their members by customs officers in the Ashanti Region.

However, the Ashanti Sector Commander, Vivian Glover, emphasized that the interception was based on intelligence rather than intentional harassment of importers.

Once the investigation concludes, the owner of the goods will be required to pay the outstanding duty, along with a penalty equivalent to 300% of the original duty.

The Customs Division aims to intensify monitoring and improve examination processes to prevent duty evasion and ensure fair trade practices.