National Security operatives yesterday impounded a truckload of smuggled gallons of vegetable cooking oil from Togo into the country by land.
The truck, with registration number AC 8143-23 and the inscription King of Kings, had the gallons of oil concealed in a black polythene and covered with bags of rice.
A woman, said to be the owner of the items, was subsequently arrested by the security operatives.
The smuggling of the oil into the country is a violation of the ban on the importation of vegetable oil by land.
Context
In a circular dated October 9, 2023, the Office of the Commissioner of the Customs Division of GRA, reminded all Commanders of the policy to regulate the palm oil sector.
It directed the commanders to restrict the importation of refined vegetable oil to the sea port (Tema and Takoradi) and discontinue the implementation of the ECOWAS ETLS concessions on reformed oil imported from Togo.
“All deputy commissioners and sector commanders are to ensure strict compliance with this directive,” the circular stressed.
Scene
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA), William Agyapong Quaittoo, who dashed to see the items and the suspect in Accra yesterday, told the media that following the ban, a circular was issued by the Ministry of Finance through the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
The GRA, he said, also sent circulars to all commanders indicating that the “government had placed a ban on the importation of vegetable oil by land”.
“Importation of vegetable oil should all go through the ports, either through the Tema Port or the Takoradi Port.
This is because investigations have proved that most of the people who import the vegetable oils into the country avoid paying the required taxes,” he said.
Mr Quaittoo explained that, research had shown that about $4.5 million was lost in revenue per month by those who engaged in the importation of vegetable oil.
Such illegality, he added, was also killing the businesses of vegetable oil manufacturers in the country.
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