The spate of corruption by officials at the Tema Port is said to be robbing the State of huge sums of money.
According to the Centre for Freedom & Accuracy, a non-governmental organisation, which made the claims, complicity, systematic corruption and malfeasance at the Tema Port cost Ghana $100 million in tax revenue every month.
The Centre, which undertook undercover investigations in collaboration with Tiger Eye Private Investigators, a private investigative firm, noted that tonnes of containers of imported goods were made to avoid tax payment with the connivance of a bunch of officials at the Tema Port.
Andrew Awuni, Executive Director of the Centre for Freedom & Accuracy, who spoke to journalists in Accra recently on the issue, said two retired service officials were involved in the nefarious activities.
The investigations further depict an alarming practice by which importers fake the contents of their containers so as to avoid taxes.
Mr Awuni said his outfit has for the meantime decided to withhold the identity of the two retired officials, who have formed their own clearing agencies to evade taxes at Tema Port.
�The two retired officers ignore the inspection process and give their own description to containers or customs documentation to attract very little or no tax at all.�
To buttress his claims, Mr Awuni said the centre had video footages on containers that passed through the Tema Port between 2012 and 2013 which it would air on television stations soon.
Noting that there are two scanning points at the Tema Port, the Executive Director said people who are sent by government to promote its interest at the Tema Port unfortunately supervise such activities, join unscrupulous private sector operators and charge up to GH�200 to let people by-pass the scan.�
He said the Tema Port, instead of tackling corruption, has brought a lot of shame to Ghanaians and the international community.
Reports indicate that three personnel of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and a national security officer have been busted at the port for various underhand dealings.
<<Print>>