Government may consider reducing certain taxes and import duties if ongoing efforts to block revenue leakages yield the desired results, Deputy Minister for Finance Thomas Nyarko Ampem has said.
According to him, strengthening compliance and sealing gaps within the tax system would expand the tax net and ease the pressure currently borne by a relatively small number of compliant taxpayers.
His comments come on the back of a suspected transit fraud case uncovered at the Akanu and Aflao border posts on February 18, 2026. Officers of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority intercepted 18 articulated trucks that had been declared as transit goods destined for Niger.
The trucks were reportedly transporting cooking oil, spaghetti and tomato paste. However, customs officials cited breaches of transit regulations, including failure to move under the mandatory customs human escort system.
Authorities estimate the consignments could have resulted in revenue losses of approximately GH¢85.3 million. An initial assessment also placed the immediate tax exposure at about GH¢2.62 million.
Speaking in an interview on Monday, February 23, 2026, the Asuogyaman Member of Parliament stressed that the crackdown forms part of a broader strategy to promote fairness within the tax regime.
“If we succeed in blocking these revenue leakages and ensuring that the correct taxes are paid, we could reach a stage where taxes and duties may even be reduced. At the moment, however, the burden rests largely on the few who comply,” he stated.
Mr. Ampem explained that the Ministry’s goal is not to overburden law-abiding businesses and individuals, but rather to ensure that all importers and traders meet their tax obligations.
He noted that improved compliance and tighter enforcement would give government the fiscal space to review current tax rates, potentially bringing relief to businesses and households alike.
