The government has announced a ban on transit of commercial quantities of cooking oil through Ghana’s borders, directing that all such consignments must henceforth be routed exclusively through the country’s seaports.

The directive, issued by the Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, follows the recent interception of 18 articulated trucks declared for transit to Niger but suspected to be part of a broader transit diversion scheme.

Under the new measure, cooking oil consignments entering Ghana for onward transit to landlocked countries will no longer be permitted to move through land border collection points. 
Instead, they must be processed exclusively through Ghana’s seaports, where stricter valuation systems, electronic tracking, scanning infrastructure and layered customs controls are operational.

The decision comes shortly after the Minister of Finance, the Deputy Minister, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, the Commissioner-General of GRA, George Kwasi Sarpong, and other high-ranking custom officials visited land borders in the Ketu South Municipality and the Ketu North District.

Intent

The decision is aimed at closing loopholes within the transit regime that have exposed the state to significant revenue losses.

Post-interception examinations in the recent case uncovered material discrepancies in declared unit values, tariff classifications and weights, which revised the suspended revenue exposure from approximately GH¢2.6 million to over GH¢85 million.

In addition to the prohibition on land transit of cooking oil in commercial quantities, the Minister of Finance directed the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to implement enhanced monitoring and strict compliance enforcement for all transactions originating from land collection points.

This will include intensified cargo tracking, reinforced escort protocols and tighter supervisory oversight.

Dr Forson further ordered the prompt commencement of disciplinary proceedings against any Customs officers found culpable in similar breaches, while criminal investigations were extended to importers and clearing agents where evidence supported prosecution.

Officials say the measures are designed not only to protect state revenue, but also to safeguard local edible oil producers from unfair competition arising from diverted transit goods.

The Government has reaffirmed its resolve to apply the full rigour of the law, including confiscation and auction of impounded goods where applicable, and to ensure that Ghana’s Customs regime is not exploited to undermine domestic revenue mobilisation and national development.

Background

A joint enforcement operation by GRA’s Customs Division officials and National Security led to the interception of 12 articulated trucks carrying large quantities of food items deemed a major revenue leakage to the state.

The intercepted trucks were transporting 44,055 packages of assorted goods, including edible cooking oil, spaghetti and tomato paste.

Customs’ assessment of the cargoes pegged the tax revenue loss to the state at GH¢85.31 million, up from the GH¢2.6 million loss initially estimated. 

Preliminary findings indicated that the 12 intercepted trucks were part of 18 vehicles that had been electronically gated out of the Customs system.

Although the trucks were declared as transit goods from the Akanu border post in the Volta Region for Niger via Kulungugu, they were found moving without the mandatory Customs human escort in violation of established transit procedures.

Following the interception, 11 trucks were moved to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority Transit Terminal in Tema and placed under strict Customs supervision, with logistical support from the GPHA.

One of the trucks which developed a mechanical fault during the operation has been transferred to another vehicle.