The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is on course to achieve its revenue target of GH¢68 billion out of the GH¢230 billion national target for 2026, the Customs Commissioner of the GRA, Mr Aaron Kanor, has said.
He stated that the Division was determined not to fail the country, having already collected GH¢18.7 billion as of the end of April.
Mr Kanor gave the assurance when he, together with his two deputies Ms Theresa Potakey, Deputy Commissioner in charge of Operations, and Mr Nana Birago Owusu Ansa, Deputy Commissioner in charge of the Suspense Regime (Free Zones, Warehousing and Transit) visited the Aflao, Kpoglo, Akanu, Ave-Havi and Dabala Junction checkpoints in the Volta Region on Saturday.
He said the Aflao Collection, which is expected to mobilise GH¢1 billion this year, had generated GH¢317 million by the end of April, representing a marginal deficit of 1.35 per cent but recording a significant growth of 33.5 per cent compared to the same period last year.
“The demands on the national purse are great, and every collection must do more to sustain and accelerate the growth we have begun to see,” Mr Kanor said, urging officers to step up efforts to mobilise more revenue for the state.
The Commissioner called for strict adherence to compliance protocols in valuation, classification and examination.
He also advocated tightening the ‘suspense regime’, including transit goods, warehoused cargo and Free Zones consignments, insisting that no transaction should be cleared without valid landing certificates and proper acquittal documentation.
On border security, Mr Kanor commended the Aflao command for leading the Division in technological innovation through the deployment of drones.
He said the aerial surveillance initiative had already led to successful arrests and the detention of smugglers.
Mr Kanor praised officers for their strong revenue performance but urged them to redouble their efforts and leverage technology to secure the country’s borders.
The visit follows a high-level bilateral engagement on May 14, 2026, during which Ghana hosted the Togo Revenue Authority to enhance trade facilitation and combat transit fraud.
Key discussions included the interconnection of Ghana’s ICUMS with Togo’s SYDONIA system, as well as a proposal to shift the primary cross-border trade route from Aflao–Lomé to the Akanu–Nuepe corridor.
The Commissioner assured staff of management’s commitment to improving their welfare and working conditions, while reiterating a zero-tolerance policy towards indiscipline.
He charged officers to maintain the highest standards of integrity, in line with the administration’s mantra: ‘Sleep revenue, dream revenue and grow revenue.’
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
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