By Florence Afriyie Mensah
Kumasi, Aug. 11, GNA – The Ashanti Regional Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) generated a total of GH₵184.5 million as revenue at the end of July 2022.
The amount is out of the total target of GH₵383,913,600.00 for this year.
Mr. Edmund Augustine Omari, Ashanti Regional Sector Commander said the collection was behind the target of the region by 50.1 per cent.
He explained this was due to the inability of the taxpayers to rake in enough income because of the current economic situation in the country.
“The Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Co Ltd (BOST) our major taxpayer, is not making enough,” he explained, and assured management of working hard to meet the target before the year ends.
Mr Omari, who was speaking at the opening of the 2022 Customs Division Management Retreat in Kumasi, spoke of lack of logistics and personnel as factors impeding collection of revenues.
The five-day meeting is being held on the theme “Simplification of Customs Procedures in Achieving 2022 Revenue Target”.
The meeting will among other things discuss the GRA risk management structure, simplification of bonds and treaties, overview of terrorism in Africa and its effects on trade (roles and challenges of the Customs Division), trade agreement and its effects on revenue and the role of post clearance audit in revenue mobilization.
The Sector Commander outlining the functions of the Kumasi collection said they ensure that goods that entered, exited or transited their operational areas went through right customs procedures and processes.
They also performed direct export, temporal export, voluntary import compliance, free zones and petroleum functions.
Mr. Omari hinted that plans were far advanced to set up a checkpoint on the Ejura-Kumasi Road, where intelligence gathered confirmed that it had become a major smuggling route in the Ashanti Region.
He, however assured that the other existing checkpoints located at Kubease, Ahenkro, Mankranso, and Mpasatia in the region would continue to perform their duties effectively.
He mentioned that the checkpoint at Anwiankwanta on the Kumasi-Obuasi road which linked to the Central and Western Regions needed to be relocated.
This was due to the on-going road construction which had affected their day-to-day activities on the stretch.
GNA