The Government of Ghana has announced a ban on the land transit of nine key imported products, directing that they must now enter the country exclusively through seaports.
The new directive was announced by the Minister for Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, on Monday, March 9, 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen border controls and safeguard government revenue.
According to the minister, the decision followed a high-level meeting with the Acting Commissioner of Customs, Aaron Akanor, and senior management of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
The meeting reviewed developments at the country’s borders and examined strategies to address revenue leakages within the importation system.
“Following this meeting, I have directed the Ghana Revenue Authority to immediately implement the following measures,” Dr Forson stated. “The land transit of selected goods is hereby banned.”
Under the new policy, the affected products can no longer be imported into Ghana through land borders and must instead enter through designated seaports where customs processes are more strictly monitored.
The goods affected by the ban include cooking oil, rice, sugar, frozen products, textiles, flour, canned tomatoes, pasta or spaghetti, and pharmaceutical products.
Officials say the move is aimed at improving monitoring and valuation procedures while reducing the risk of smuggling and under-declaration of goods at the country’s land borders.
As part of the new measures, the Finance Minister also announced the recentralisation of the Customs Technical Services Bureau (CTSB).
The bureau will now operate as a centralised unit responsible for handling valuation processes and strengthening intelligence sharing across customs operations.
Authorities say the move will also allow better use of digital monitoring tools such as the Publican AI system, which helps analyse import data and detect irregularities in trade transactions.
“These measures are intended to strengthen border controls, close revenue leakages, and safeguard government revenue,” Dr Forson explained.
He further directed all departments and operational units within the Customs Division to ensure strict compliance with the new policy.
Industry stakeholders, including importers, transport operators and traders, are expected to adjust their operations to comply with the new regulations.
The GRA has also indicated that it will intensify monitoring and enforcement at the country’s entry points to ensure that the directive is properly implemented.
The new policy forms part of broader government efforts to improve revenue mobilisation and streamline the importation process for essential goods entering Ghana’s economy.
