GIS generated GH¢546m last year

The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) collected more than GH¢546 million in revenue for last year, driven largely by reforms in visa and permit processing.

The revenue performance formed part of the significant gains recorded by the service for last year.

In a statement, the GIS said the reforms led to the issuance of 186,959 permits and visas, representing a 32.5 per cent increase over the previous year.

It added that those achievements were attributed to ongoing investments in digital infrastructure, automation and system upgrades, which had significantly reduced processing times and enhanced transparency.

The Comptroller-General of Immigration (CGI), Samuel Basintale Amadu, who was appointed in March 2025 by President John Dramani Mahama, spearheaded the revenue drive and other reforms.

The statement said the service also efficiently managed over 2.8 million passenger movements across the country’s air, land and sea entry points without major incidents.

It said the performance supported key national initiatives, including the “December in Ghana” tourism drive, which recorded increased international arrivals.

Border security

On border security, the statement said the GIS recorded significant enforcement successes through coordinated operations involving its various departments and regional commands.

These operations led to the seizure of smuggled goods, including cocoa beans, narcotics, ammunition and petroleum products.

Items intercepted included 1,401 bags and jerry cans of smuggled cocoa beans, 1,398 packs of tramadol, 88 parcels of suspected Indian hemp and 725 cartridges of ammunition.

In addition, 909 individuals were intercepted at entry points and checkpoints, while a broader enforcement exercise involving 7,204 facility inspections led to the arrest of 3,533 people for immigration-related offences.

The statement said the operations “reflect growing effectiveness in disrupting illicit trade networks.”