The Ghana Revenue Authority has clarified an allegation of extortion by Customs officers at the arrival hall of the Accra International Airport.
According to the GRA a preliminary investigation has established that a passenger deposited GH¢800 towards a duty assessment of GH¢807.68 following a system downtime.
In a statement issued on October 9, the GRA said it took note of social media posts by a passenger, Ms Gifty Osei Bonsu, concerning an encounter with Customs officers on October 3, 2026.
It explained that the passenger arrived in Ghana via Egypt Air on October 3 at 12:48 pm. Her luggage was referred for further examination in the Red Channel following Customs risk selection and scanning. The examination revealed 20 pairs of new women's shoes, nine new women's dresses, 18 new men's shirts, and four new wigs.
Based on the examination, a Customs assessment of GH¢807.68 was raised on the 20 pairs of ladies' shoes. At the time the assessment was made, the Integrated Customs Management System was experiencing a temporary downtime, which affected the immediate processing of the payment and issuance of an official receipt.
The passenger indicated that she had a flight to catch and consequently deposited GH¢600 with the officers for the settlement of the tax bill. A friend of the passenger also deposited GH¢200, bringing the total deposit to GH¢800.
However, the official receipt was not provided to the passenger, as by the time the system came up and the processes were completed, the passenger had left the airport.
When the system was restored, the full amount was duly paid into the Authority's revenue account on the same day, October 3, at Ecobank Ghana Ltd at about 4:57 pm with receipt number 2610033274.
An official receipt was generated in the passenger's name. The Customs officers used their personal funds to top up the difference of GH¢7.68, which was short of the deposit received.
The GRA assured the public that the transaction was undertaken in good faith and that the assessed duty was duly accounted for.
The Authority, however, acknowledged the long waiting time before the passenger received service and extended its sincere apologies to Ms Osei Bonsu for the inconvenience arising from the delayed service.
The GRA said it has put in place alternative procedures to be followed during system interruptions to ensure that passengers can be served in an orderly, accountable, and transparent manner.
It has also initiated a review of the Standard Operating Procedures governing the engagement of Customs officers with passengers at the country's ports of entry, focused on professional communication, transparency in the assessment and collection of duties, and documentation of transactions.
The Authority said it is developing an improved passenger-facing process that will provide clearer information on Customs requirements and passenger concessions, the basis and calculation of duties, payment and receipt procedures, and a transparent channel through which passengers can seek clarification, request a review of an assessment, or lodge a complaint.
The GRA reminded all travellers carrying dutiable goods to insist on receiving the appropriate assessment notice, ensure that all payments are made through approved channels, and obtain official receipts for every transaction.
