Kumasi, April 25, GNA - There has been a massive increase in the smuggling of textiles along the frontiers since regulations were made for the channelling of all imports through the Takoradi port, Madam Annie Anipa, Assistant Commissioner (Public Relations) of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), has said. She said at present the Service has in its custody, seized wax prints from Aflao, Ho, Sunyani, Tamale and the Airport with a tax totalling over 72 billion cedis.

Speaking at the launch of the CEPS tax education public forum in Kumasi on Tuesday, Madam Anipa said Sunyani has 402 veritable real wax imitation pieces costing 98.958 billion cedis, Aflao had 15,086 imitation wax print costing 904.601 billion cedis out of 18,477 real wax print.

She said Kotoka International Airport office has recorded 900 pieces of imitation real wax costing 221.548 billion cedis, Tamale has 71 imitation pieces costing 4.257 billion cedis out of a total of 2,189 real wax while CEPS headquarters in Accra has 1,551 seized imitation wax prints costing 93.002 billion cedis.

The Assistant Commissioner indicated that it was most disheartening to encounter some people who go to the extent of sending sample Ghanaian made prints to other countries for reproduction into cheaper textiles, which are later, smuggled into the country. She cautioned that this was illegal and infringes not only national but also international laws on piracy and counterfeiting and urged well-meaning Ghanaians to desist from the practice. Madam Anipa hinted that there has been an upsurge in the transit trade through the Tema and Takoradi ports since trouble started in the Cote d'Ivoire, stressing that ordinarily the transit should not have pose any revenue risk since the final destination of the goods is not within the country.

She, however, said the trade has been infiltrated by fake transistors, who end up diverting them to the local market and said this practice was criminal and leads to heavy loss of revenue to the state. Madam Anipa, who spoke on challenges and problems facing the Service, said non-compliance and manipulation are manifest including the valuation of goods, vehicle importation, especially the temporary importation of vehicles, warehousing and free zones regimes. Mr Cyril Mensah, the Kumasi Sector Commander of CEPS pointed out that revenue mobilization was very necessary for national development and encouraged business communities to endeavour to honour their tax obligations. 25 April 06