Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson has announced a ban on land transit of goods in Ghana affecting several imported products as part of new measures to strengthen border control and protect government revenue.
The directive follows a high-level meeting between the Minister and the Acting Commissioner of Customs, Aaron Akanor, together with the management of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). The discussions focused on developments at Ghana’s land borders and strategies to address persistent revenue leakages.
According to the Finance Minister, the new policy forms part of broader efforts by government to tighten monitoring at entry points and ensure that customs operations contribute effectively to national revenue mobilization.
Selected goods restricted to seaports
Under the new directive, a number of commonly traded goods will no longer be allowed to enter or transit Ghana through land borders.
The affected products include cooking oil, rice, sugar, frozen foods, textiles, flour, canned tomatoes, pasta or spaghetti, as well as pharmaceutical products.
Mr. Forson explained that these goods must now be routed exclusively through the country’s seaports where customs authorities can apply stricter inspection and valuation procedures.
The Finance Minister believes the policy will help address loopholes in cross-border trade that have contributed to revenue losses in recent years.
Customs valuation system to be centralized
In addition to the restrictions on land transit, Mr. Forson also directed the recentralisation of the Customs Technical Services Bureau (CTSB). The move is intended to create a single, centralized platform for customs valuation processes.
Authorities say the measure will improve coordination and strengthen intelligence sharing within the Customs Division, particularly through data generated by the Publican Artificial Intelligence (AI) system used for customs analysis.
Officials expect the centralized structure to enhance the ability of customs officers to detect irregularities in import declarations and prevent undervaluation of goods.
Strict compliance ordered
The Finance Minister emphasized that the directives are designed to protect government revenue while strengthening border governance.
According to him, tighter control over the entry of goods will help reduce illegal trade practices and improve transparency within customs operations.
He has therefore instructed all relevant departments and operational units within the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority to ensure strict compliance with the new policy.
The government expects the measures to reinforce revenue collection while improving oversight of Ghana’s border trade systems.
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