Accra, Jan. 13, GNA - The Food and Beverages Association of Ghana on Thursday commended Ghana Revenue Authority for exhibiting a high level of vigilance in arresting rice smugglers at the western corridor of the country.

"The activities of the rice smugglers are not only inimical to genuine business in the country, but are also denying the government huge sums of money in terms of taxes at the entry points." These were contained in a statement signed by Mr Nabil Moukarzel, Chairman of FABAG and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra. He said the arrest of the rice smugglers was not only a vindication of the concerns raised by the Association some months ago, but was also a testimony that there were a lot of rice smugglers in the system. He appealed to them to further strengthen surveillance at the entry points to rid the country of perennial smuggling of rice and beverages, bot= h alcoholic and non-alcoholic, into the country.

Mr Mourkazel explained that the incidence of smuggling was necessitated by the high taxes on the importation of those commodities and called on the Ghana Revenue Authority to find ways of streamlining their tax regime with other member countries of the Economic Community of West African states (ECOWAS) as a permanent way of discouraging the smuggling of those commodities and to increase government revenue. "We at FABAG will continue to play our part to ensure that genuine business thrives in the country," he added.