Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, said Friday he may relocate his office to the country’s largest port in Tema, citing mounting concerns over widespread revenue leakages and illegal trade activities that are undermining the nation’s economy.
In a radio interview with Accra-based Citi FM, Dr. Forson warned that smuggling—largely from neighboring Togo—has escalated to the point of threatening the government’s revenue collection and broader economic recovery efforts. “In the coming days, I think I may relocate my office to the Tema Port,” he said. “It may have to get to that for us to see what is going on.”
The minister revealed that intelligence reports and whistleblower tips point to a growing trend of goods being diverted through Togo’s ports and entering Ghana illegally, bypassing customs and tax systems. These illicit flows, he said, are not only eroding state revenue but also squeezing out legitimate Ghanaian businesses and jobs.
“You can see a lot of smuggling from the Togo port entering through Ghana,” Dr. Forson noted. “This not only takes away our revenue, but also takes away employment from Ghanaians.”
To address the issue, the Finance Ministry is planning to bolster the preventive unit of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). Forson underscored that if left unchecked, the smuggling network could continue to destabilize Ghana’s fiscal base at a time when the government is seeking to rebound from years of economic strain.
The comments come as Ghana continues negotiations with international creditors and financial institutions under a $3 billion International Monetary Fund support program aimed at restoring macroeconomic stability.
