The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has explained that a GH¢807.68 customs duty assessed on a passenger’s luggage at the Accra International Airport was duly accounted for, following allegations of extortion involving Customs officers.
In a statement dated October 9, 2026, the Authority said its preliminary investigation into the incident involving Gifty Osei Bonsu established that the payment process was disrupted by a temporary system failure, preventing the immediate issuance of an official receipt.
According to the GRA, Ms Bonsu arrived in Ghana aboard Egypt Air on October 3 and was referred for further examination after her luggage was selected for inspection in the Red Channel at the airport’s Arrivals Hall.
The examination revealed 20 pairs of new women’s shoes, nine new women’s dresses, 18 new men’s shirts and four new wigs.
The Authority said Customs officers assessed GH¢807.68 in duty on the 20 pairs of shoes.
However, the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) was experiencing temporary downtime at the time, affecting the immediate processing of the payment and issuance of an official receipt.
The GRA said Ms Bonsu, who indicated that she had a flight to catch, deposited GH¢600 with the officers towards the payment. A friend subsequently deposited another GH¢200, bringing the total to GH¢800.
The statement said that after the passenger left the airport, the system was restored and the full assessed duty was paid into the Authority’s revenue account at Ecobank Ghana Limited on the same day. An official receipt was subsequently generated in the passenger’s name.
The GRA added that the Customs officers used their personal funds to cover the GH¢7.68 difference between the amount deposited and the assessed duty.
“The Authority wishes to assure the public that the transaction was undertaken in good faith and that the assessed duty was duly accounted for,” the statement said.
The Authority, however, acknowledged the delay in providing the service and apologised to Ms Bonsu for the inconvenience.
The GRA said it had introduced alternative procedures for serving passengers during system interruptions and had initiated a review of the standard operating procedures governing Customs officers’ engagement with travellers at the country’s ports of entry.
The review, it said, would focus on professional communication, transparency in duty assessment and collection, and proper documentation of transactions.
The Authority also said it was developing an improved passenger-facing process to provide clearer information on Customs requirements, the calculation and payment of duties, and channels for passengers to seek clarification, challenge assessments or lodge complaints.
It urged travellers carrying dutiable goods to insist on receiving the appropriate assessment notice, make payments only through approved channels and obtain official receipts for every transaction.
