The Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, has commended the Customs Division of the authority for exceeding its revenue collection target for the first half of this year.

According to him, the achievement of this feat was evidence of the impact of ongoing reforms being undertaken by the authority and the dedication of officers.

Mr Sarpong issued the commendation when he graced the pull-out ceremony organised in honour of the retiring Sector Commander of the Accra International Airport (AIA) Collection, Assistant Commissioner (AC) Mary-Anne Okuno, after nearly 40 years of distinguished public service in Accra on Thursday.

The ceremony brought together the Commissioner of Customs, Brigadier General Glover Ashong Annan, former Commissioners of Customs, senior management of the GRA, officers of the Customs Division, representatives of sister security agencies, aviation stakeholders, family members and friends to celebrate Mrs Okuno’s contribution to customs administration, trade facilitation and revenue mobilisation.

Addressing the gathering, Mr Sarpong disclosed that the Customs Division collected GH¢5.6 billion in June against a target of GH¢5.3 billion, contributing to the division’s impressive performance for the first half of the year.

He said the division, which averaged about GH¢4 billion in monthly revenue in 2024, had recorded steady growth following measures to strengthen compliance, improve revenue assurance and enhance customs administration.

The Commissioner-General described the performance as a remarkable turnaround and urged officers to sustain the momentum in order to ensure the division achieved its annual revenue target.

The Commissioner of Customs, Brig. Gen. Annan, paid glowing tribute to AC Okuno, describing her as an outstanding leader whose discipline, professionalism and commitment transformed every station where she served.

He said under her leadership, the AIA Collection implemented key reforms, including strengthened monitoring of cross-border e-commerce, and the rollout of the Advanced Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record System.

The Commissioner said the collection recovered more than GH¢39 million from undervalued low-value e-commerce consignments between October 2025 and June 2026, while reversing negative revenue performance into sustained growth.

He also described the outgoing officer as a mentor to younger officers and an inspiration to women in the Customs Division through her integrity, fairness and dedication to duty.

In her farewell address, Mrs Okuno thanked the management of the GRA, colleagues, stakeholders and her family for their support throughout her career.

She urged younger officers to uphold integrity, professionalism and humility, stressing that leadership was defined not by rank but by service, character and the positive impact one leaves behind.

Mrs Okuno joined the then Customs, Excise and Preventive Service in January 1987 and rose through the ranks to become Assistant Commissioner in 2023.

She served at Kotoka International Airport, Tema, Koforidua and the AIA Collection, where she retired as Sector Commander after nearly four decades of service.