Ghana Immigration Service generates GH¢12.3m, exceeds 2011 revenue target by 20%
The revenue target set out for 2011 by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has been exceeded by about 20 per cent, Dr Peter Alex Wiredu, Director of the Service said in Accra on Friday.
He said by the end of November this year, the service had mobilised GH¢12,393, 790.50 in revenue as against last year’s GH¢10,990,000 target.
Speaking to journalists during an end of year get-together for the personnel of the GIS, Dr Wiredu attributed the increase in revenue to the fact that Ghana had become an attractive destination for investors.
He said more people are applying for working and resident permits.
Dr Wiredu said the bid to collect more fees from more people does not mean that the GIS had sacrificed vigorous scrutiny and screening of foreigners’ entering the country.
He explained that his outfit is scrutinising police records of foreigners from their home countries through Ghana’s foreign missions.
As part of the efforts of the service, Dr Wiredu said 70 illegal miners have been arrested while 26 illegal miners from South Africa have been apprehended at Tarkwa.
“Our operations, intelligence and enforcement units have been up and doing this year. Quite a number of foreigners who breached our laws were duly arrested and repatriated. Others are either pending before the courts or under active investigations,” Dr Wiredu said.
On documentation fraud, Dr Wiredu, who is also a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), said the service through donor support had established a new centre at Dworwulu in Accra.
The centre the first to be established in the sub-region is to curb the use of fake documents by travellers.
He announced that government has given the GIS the green light to recruit about 700 personnel, adding that 271 personnel had just passed out and the rest are undergoing training.
Dr Wiredu expressed optimism that if the service obtains its share of the nation’s budgetary allocation it would perform better in 2012.
He said the service would purchase fleet of vehicles in addition to what government offered in order to intensify patrols at the country’s 51 entry points.
DCOP Wiredu pledged the service’s commitment to work assiduously with officials of the Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority, to achieve the vision of delivering excellence in migration management to propel national development.
Source: GNA