Smuggling affects CEPS revenue collection

Petroleum tax collection by Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) in the Upper East Region fell short by 81.82 per cent during the first quarter of the year.
    
It collected GH¢387,351 out of its target of GH¢473,400.
    
In the area of general custom duty collection, it fell short by 17.44 per cent. CEPS collected GH¢688,536 out of its target of GH¢834,020 during the first three months of the year.
    
Mr. Ganiyou Busare, Acting Sector Commander, attributed the fall to smuggling of fuel products from the region to neighbouring Togo and Burkina Faso and the Bawku conflict.
   
Mr. Busare said this when the Regional minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo visited the CEPS office in Bolgatanga to interact with the personnel.
    
He said other factors that affected collection of custom duties were smuggling of fertilizer and the farming season as many people work on their farms.
    
Mr Busare said the region made excess collection by GH¢62,601, of its target of GH¢4,140,000 last year.
    
The target for this year is GH¢3,380,000.
    
Mr. Woyongo said the country needed to step up its internally generated income to be able to meet many obligations.
    
The minister urged the staff of Audit Service that would soon be auditing the Municipal and District assemblies to do their work properly.
    
Mr Woyongo also visited the Architectural Engineering Services Company where he told them to ensure government contracts were well supervised and completed on time.

Source: GNA