CEPS cautions car buyers

Mr Daniel Asiedu, a Chief Collector of the Eastern Regional office of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has advised persons who purchase vehicles to make it a point to verify the authenticity of those vehicles with the CEPS before buying them.

He said, “This nonchalant attitude by purchasers is the result of most vehicles being impounded by the Customs personnel; so every person who wants to buy a car anywhere in Ghana must go to our offices to find out whether appropriate duties have been paid on the vehicle.”

Mr Asiedu made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Koforidua on Wednesday.

He disclosed that some West Africans are taking undue advantage of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Protocol to cheat Ghanaians by way of selling their goods imported into the country temporary to ignorant people when they realized that the date of expiry of the goods were due.

Mr Asiedu said the CEPS would always be extra vigilant to impound all “illegal” goods, especially vehicles, which had outstayed their “protocol” period in the country and that “it behoves on Ghanaians to also be on the alert in order not to fall victim.”

He added: “Left with me alone the importation of vehicles should be banned from the ECOWAS Protocol policy because it is killing many Ghanaians financially.”

The ECOWAS Protocol allows foreigners within the ECOWAS region to import goods and services into sister countries for temporary usage after which they return those goods and services back to their respective countries when their time of stay expires.

Source: GNA