Customs Division impounds container for under declaration

The Tema Command of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has detained a container belonging to Semana Logistics Limited for allegedly attempting to evade import revenue to the tune of GH¢65,000.

The 40-footer container, which contained 50 assorted items and weighed 270 metric tonnes, was declared as holding Knapsack sprayers, cutting rings, a jaw crusher frame and bucket ears for excavators.

The company is said to have paid import duty of GH¢5,850, instead of GH¢65,000.

However, a scan conducted on the consignment subsequently revealed that it was holding items ranging from mobile phones and accessories, solar lamps, cables, bow ties, selected kitchen accessories and other items.

The Tema Sector Commander of the Customs Division, Mr Felix Mate-Kodjo, told journalists in Tema yesterday that the container would be detained at the state warehouse at the Golden Jubilee Terminal until the importer paid up the duty liability of GH¢65,000 and penalty of about 300 per cent.

He said the agents declared the items that attracted lower rates of duties in the region of five per cent, “but upon an examination on the consignment, it was found to be holding assorted items that should attract revenue of about GH¢65,000”.

Under Declaration

Mr Mate-Kodjo indicated that some agents had devised means of cheating the system by way of declaring goods that were not within the customs declaration, so that they could make away with revenue running into thousands of Ghana cedis.

He said in spite of the ongoing implementation of the paperless cargo clearance at the ports, some agents continued to misclassify imports in their quest to cheat the system.

“We have arrested two of such cases since the commencement of the paperless regime, one of which was declared as juice but was later found to be wax prints when an examination was conducted on the container,” he said.

The paperless regime, he stated, had provided the opportunity for the speedy facilitation of trade and a reduction in business cost and urged importers and agents not to attempt to outsmart the system in their quest to rake in more profit.

The Chief Revenue Officer in charge of Preventives, Mr Edward Osei, for his part, indicated that investigations would be conducted into the dealings of the importer and the agents to identify whether they had previously used similar means to deny the state of revenue.

He said the Customs Division would clamp down on agents and importers who had made it a policy to identify loopholes in their quest to cheat the system.

“We will continue to rely on intelligence of our officers, as well as informants, to rid the system of fraudulent activities,” Mr Osei said.