The Kotoka International Airport (KIA) Collection of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) exceeded its revenue target for the year 2015.

“The Service was charged to collect a revenue target of GH?472,560,000.00, and we were able to collect GH?480,259,241.64”, Mr. Isaac Tetteh Djan Abbey, Sector Commander of the KIA CEPS Collection, said on the occasion of the end of year get together of the Service.

He mentioned commitment and dedication of staff, good policies by management such as the introduction of compliance measures, where the performance of staff was electronically monitored, as well as intensive training programmes, as some of the reasons for the achievement.

Touching on other achievements of the sector, Mr. Abbey said a number of Muster Parades and durbars were held during the year 2015, which boosted the morale of officers and also made it possible for staff to speak sincerely on issues that affected them.

“As a collection, we needed to halt a huge flow of grapevine communication and be able to express our collective concerns and worries without fear,” he said.

Mr. Abbey said the service organised four major durbars during the year adding, “I am happy to inform all that the feedback from the durbars helped management a great deal.”

He mentioned lack of adequate human resource as a key challenge to the Collection.

“The KIA Collection is seriously understaffed and I congratulate all officers for taking up the challenge by overworking themselves to attain this great achievement of exceeding our target,” said Mr. Abbey.

On the way forward, he noted that with a revenue target of GH?700,000,000.00 being set for the year 2016, “we are very hopeful that with the systems and processes put in place, we will not rest on our oars, but rather improve on our services”.

Mr. Abbey commended his management team for their immense support, as well as “our partners, especially freight forwarders and importers, who helped us immensely to achieve the feat of exceeding our revenue target”.

He urged officers of the Collection to avoid disunity.

“Let us continue to love and support one another, as those are the virtues that can keep us united to forge ahead and attain our individual and collective goals.

A number of officers were awarded for their hard work.

Mr. Bright Obeng of the Preventive Unit , KIA CEPS Collection, received the prize for being the overall best worker for the junior division, whilst Mr. Emanuel Brown of the Compliant Seat, was awarded for being the overall best worker for the senior division of the Collection.

A number of freight forwarding companies were also awarded for their excellent performance during the year.

They were the DHL Global Forwarding, which received the first prize for the Most Distinguished Customs House Agent Award.

Balori Logistics and Bat Freight and Logistics received the second and third prizes for the same category respectively.