Accra, Jan. 6, GNA - The Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) at the Arrival Hall of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) collected 8.5 billion cedis revenue for 1999.

The figure represents an improvement over the 1998 collection of 4.1 billion cedis. The Chief Collector in charge of the Hall, Mr James Tchokpa, announced this at an end-of-year and send-off party for over 30 officers transferred from the KIA to the regions.

Mr Tchokpa thanked the CEPS officers for co-operating with him to establish good working relations with their clients and other stakeholders. He said as a result of the goodwill and government's Gateway Programme, the preventive section of the CEPS has received an additional x-ray machine to facilitate its work.

He commended the staff for their dedication and commitment to work, which enabled them to make a number of arrests including drug traffickers and the interception of prohibited goods entering the county. The officers going on transfer should bring their training and expertise to bear on their work at their new stations.

Mr Tchokpa told the remaining officers that with the transfer of the 30 officers from KIA, enormous pressure would be put on them and urged them to work hard and with extra vigilance during the re-organisation of CEPS. GNA