Watch as customs officer scolds trader who attempted to evade import duty

A customs officer has been captured on camera reprimanding and educating trader who attempted to evade payment of import duty.

He urged her to fulfil her tax obligations, stressing that the payment of duties and taxes on imported goods is essential to funding national development and government intervention programmes.

Addressing a woman over the payment of import duties in a viral video shared on X by we love ghana and sighted by GhanaWeb on June 26, 2026, the officer explained that every importer has a responsibility to pay the required taxes on goods brought into the country.

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He warned that tax evasion deprives the state of revenue needed to undertake critical development projects.

"So, when you go and take these items from wherever, your duty is to pay duties and taxes on them. If we don't pay, the government will not get the money it needs to do its work," the officer said.

He noted that revenue generated from import duties plays a crucial role in financing public infrastructure, including roads, hospitals and other social interventions that benefit citizens across the country.

"The government will not get money to construct roads or build hospitals if people fail to pay their taxes. All these developmental projects depend on the revenue we generate together," he stated.

He further pointed to the government's support for first-year university students, saying such initiatives are only possible when citizens and businesses honour their tax obligations.

"Government is paying for first-year students in universities. All these things depend on you and me. I pay income tax, and you are also supposed to pay import taxes," he said.

According to him, it is unfair for citizens to criticise governments for inadequate development while deliberately avoiding the payment of taxes that finance such projects.

"If we don't pay our taxes, we will end up saying the government has done nothing for us, yet we are part of the problem. How will the government get money to undertake these developmental projects?" he questioned.

He therefore urged importers, particularly those bringing goods into Ghana from neighbouring countries such as Togo, to comply with customs regulations by paying the appropriate duties, insisting that tax compliance remains a shared responsibility in driving the country's development.

Watch video below

🇬🇭 When you import goods from Togo, you are supposed to pay tax on them. If you don’t pay, the government will not get money to build roads and hospitals. I pay income tax, and you are also supposed to pay import taxes. If we don’t do that, we will end up saying the government… pic.twitter.com/TogpiMxE94

— we love ghana (@weloveghana042) June 25, 2026