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The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has said an estimated 1,200 \u2018Togo cars\u2019 have been intercepted, in the Greater Accra Region alone, within the last two years.<\/p>\n
These cars initially entered the country legitimately but became illegal after exhausting their stay \u2013 falsifying documents to merit legal status and thereby evade import taxes.<\/p>\n
Ag. Commissioner of Customs, Seidu Iddrisu Iddisah, told B&FT that the Division seizes an average 50 cars every month in hotspot regions \u2013 including the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western and Northern Regions.<\/p>\n
The scourge, accordingly, has resulted in an estimated US$30million revenue loss in the past two years since 2020.<\/p>\n
The concept of \u2018Togo cars\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Commissioner Iddisah, in demystifying the concept of \u2018Togo cars\u2019, explained that though the majority of these cars come from Togo, a chunk of them is also brought in from Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, with Nigeria being the new hotspot for the vice.<\/p>\n He said the practice results from abuse of temporary legal importation of vehicles, captured under the ECOWAS protocols to allow easy movement of goods and people across member-states.<\/p>\n The treaty allows for a maximum of 90-days for such cars to stay in the visiting country after a tangible reason is given. The conditions attached stipulate that the vehicle must belong to the driver; and he\/she must be a citizen of the country of origin of the car, as well as having appropriate documents for evidence.<\/p>\n The age-old abuse\/crime<\/strong><\/p>\n Over the years, some Ghanaians have made it their trade \u2013 taking undue advantage of Togo\u2019s free port and collaborating with Togolese nationals and people from various nationalities in the sub-region to bring these cars into the country through the ECOWAS protocol and illegally change the vehicles\u2019 identity after arrival in Ghana.<\/p>\n \u201cThough most of these foreign nationals are caught at the borders through the fake documents they present, some manage to drive these cars to their owners in Accra and Kumasi by using their identity cards as Togolese nationals who are in Ghana to visit friends and family or to do business,\u201d Commissioner Iddisah disclosed.<\/p>\n These original Ghanaian owners of the said cars, according to Mr. Iddisah, later make fake documents of the \u2018Togo car\u2019 to match with similar cars that are already legally imported into the country \u2013 they tamper expertly with the chassis number beyond recognition of the layman.<\/p>\n He said only a trained Customs officer can detect that the chassis number has been altered or tampered with, as two cars cannot have the same chassis number even if they were manufactured on the same day and time by the same company.<\/p>\n Greed as a factor<\/strong><\/p>\n Though the Division indicates that it is progressively tackling the menace, Commissioner Iddisah blames the greed of some Ghanaians as the fuelling factor of this illegality.<\/p>\n \u201cA car that sells for GH\u00a270,000 should not be offered to anybody for GH\u00a230,000. Unfortunately, that is what excites most buyers. Worse case, they do not involve the services of Customs officials in the purchase of such cars. That is greed, to some extent,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n Punishment<\/p>\n The punishment for this offence, according to the Division, is an outright seizure of the vehicle; and in some cases prosecution after the original \u2018importer\u2019 of the vehicle is found. However, it is often difficult to trace the importer as more than 70 percent of buyers become the first and original victim. These vehicles usually have fake registration numbers and number plates, and do not go through the DVLA system.<\/p>\n The capacity to detect<\/strong><\/p>\n The Customs Division, according to Commissioner Iddisah, has trained officers who have the capacity and expertise to detect such crimes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have capable officers who have been clamping down on these illegal cars. They can look at the chassis number and within seconds tell you if it has been tampered with. Additionally, the Division deploys modern gadgets and technologies to check the legal status of any of these cars upon suspicion,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Remain vigilant<\/p>\n Commissioner Iddisah asked the general public to remain vigilant and visit the nearest GRA office to check the status of vehicles before purchase. The Division is also undertaking ongoing education about the public\u2019s need to be cautious of where such vehicle purchases are made.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t buy a car and hide it in your room; you want to drive the car around and the Customs will occasionally stop you upon suspicions. It is therefore important to know the status of your car,\u201d the Commissioner said.<\/p>\n Collaborations<\/p>\n Commissioner Iddisah, disclosed that the Division is finalising processes to begin collaboration with other Customs departments in Africa and the sub-region to track the smuggling of these cars and other applicable goods.<\/p>\n Source: B&FT<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Featured Video\n<\/p>\n\n
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