Commissioner of the Customs Division at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Brigadier General Zibrim Ayorrogo, has affirmed that Customs will persist in inspecting goods that have already been cleared during transit, as needed.

In recent years, some importers and manufacturers, including members of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) in the Ashanti Region, have raised concerns about the re-examination of cleared goods at the Kubease Customs checkpoint.

They argue that this practice leads to delays and additional charges, which they find counterproductive. Furthermore, they point out that it creates cost discrepancies for businesses located outside of Accra, often forcing them to relocate to the capital.

However, in response to a question from journalists during a pre-visit briefing to Kumasi Customs Collections in the Ashanti Region, the Commissioner made it clear that this practice will continue.

“The examination will continue. Once goods leave the port and taxes have been legitimately paid, no one has the right to stop them. However, when Customs officers stop and inspect a shipment, it indicates that there may be a concern.

More often than not, when a container is stopped and tagged we find issues such as undervaluation, excess items or misdescription.

In such cases, the Customs Division is justified in its actions. This will not stop today; it will occur intermittently based on intelligence when we suspect issues, prompting us to check the containers,” Brigadier Ayorrogo said.

He acknowledged the validity of concerns raised by GUTA and the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) but mentioned that officers conducting inspections sometimes overlook specific details.

“These are legitimate concerns. When a container leaves the port in Tema heading to Kumasi, some clearance has already been completed. In some instances, there are irregularities at the port. In some cases, people are sleeping at the port."

"They have their ways. We have a task force, and more often than not when these task forces encounter containers they find discrepancies. In that regard, GUTA also has valid concerns. This process will not stop; it will be ongoing,” he reiterated.

Brigadier Ayorrogo, added that the law does not prohibit re-examination of goods that have already been checked at the port. Such inspections serve as a necessary oversight by the Customs Division.

“If they inspect and find nothing amiss, the law permits us to conduct an examination. GUTA and Customs are effectively checking each other.

The business community should expect complaints when we stop shipments, regardless of whether they contain legitimate or illegitimate goods. However, the bottom line is that if we identify a problem, businesses must be patient and allow us to do our job,” he asserted.