The Food and Beverages Association of Ghana (FABAG) has stated that Ghana loses approximately GH¢300 million every month due to smuggling.
According to the Executive Chairman of FABAG, John Awuni, their estimate was based on the number of containers entering the country illegally through the Aflao border via the Togo port, where the importers are not paying the right taxes and duties.
Speaking in a radio interview with Citi FM on Tuesday [October 28, 2025], Mr Awuni said if all those containers were cleared through the ports in Ghana, the appropriate duties and taxes would have been collected and Ghana would not be losing the approximated GH¢300 million every month due to smuggling.
He explained that the calculation was made by assessing how many containers enter the country illicitly and multiplying that figure by the average tax paid per container when properly cleared.
Mr Awuni said smuggling has become more widespread because some importers find it cheaper to pay unofficial fees to border officials than to pay full duties at Tema Port.
He said this allows smugglers to save between 30 and 40 percent on the taxes due to the state.
“They go through the borders, through immigration and customs officers, and they pay [bribe] them,” he said, adding that such practices have left legitimate importers and manufacturers struggling to compete.
He added that the situation has severely affected local trade. “Demand for goods has dropped by 70 per cent, and so if the government does not rise up to protect the borders, there is more motivation to smuggle goods into the country and sell quickly than to go through Tema and pay the 50 to 54 per cent total taxes and then struggle in the market,” he said.
Mr Awuni said the influx of cheap, untaxed goods has weakened domestic producers and importers who operate lawfully and pay full duties.
He said weak enforcement and poor supervision at the borders have worsened the problem, costing the country large amounts in lost revenue and threatening jobs in the manufacturing sector.
He urged the Ministry of Finance, the Ghana Revenue Authority, and national security agencies to strengthen monitoring and enforcement at the borders to protect both state revenue and local industry.
“If they really want to raise more revenue and protect the public purse, they need to work on that,” he said.
Mr Awuni also questioned the growing presence of products labelled in French on the local market, saying such goods are prohibited under labelling laws.
He called on authorities to investigate how those products are entering the country unchecked.
