Sunyani, April 18, GNA - Mr Richard Ed Kumah Lanyon, Brong-Ahafo Sector Commander of Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) has warned prospective buyers of vehicles to ensure that customs duties are paid on them before they acquire them.

He asked vehicle agents to always produce documents of vehicles on sale to the Service for verification and validity. Interacting with top officers CEPS and media practitioners in Sunyani, Mr Lanyon said vehicles whose duties are not paid would be impounded, adding that his outfit currently had in custody 22 such vehicles.

He warned that the vehicles would be auctioned if the owners failed to pay up the duties and the necessary penalties.

Mr Lanyon said the Service lacked logistics such as communication equipment, inadequate vehicles and accommodation for staff especially, those working in deprived border communities in the region. Responding to a question, the Sector Commander said his outfit enjoyed excellent relationship with the police and that they sometimes gave them leads on smuggling activities.

He urged the public to volunteer information on the activity of smugglers and gave the assurance that informants would be duly rewarded. Mr Robert Mensah, Public Relations Officer for the Northern Sector of CEPS, appealed to the media to always seek clarification from the Service on its operations to avoid the distortion of facts in their reportage.

Mr Charles Koomson, Regional Manager of Ghana News Agency and Vice Chairman of Brong Ahafo Regional branch of Ghana Journalists Association, expressed appreciation for the close collaboration between the Service and the media in the region.

He said as partners in national development, it was necessary that the two sides work on concert towards the realization of national goals.