Ghana’s Customs Commissioner joins regional leaders at WCO‑WCA summit

The 32nd Conference of Directors General of Customs for the West and Central Africa (WCO‑WCA) region, held in Freetown, Sierra Leone from May 4–8, 2026, convened leading policymakers and technical experts shaping the continent’s trade and security agenda.

The high‑level summit brought together more than 150 customs chiefs and specialists from 28 countries, including Ghana’s Commissioner of Customs, Aaron Kanor.

Opening the conference, Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio underscored the pivotal role of customs officials, describing them as “the frontline of the state itself.”

Speaking on the theme “A Customs Service that Protects Society through its Vigilance and Commitment,” he stressed that while revenue mobilisation is essential, the foremost duty of customs services is to intercept what he termed “silent killers.”

These silent killers include counterfeit medicines, illicit weapons, narcotics, and the illicit financial flows that fuel terrorism across Africa.

Deliberations also focused on harnessing advanced scanning technologies and data analytics to identify high‑risk cargo without disrupting legitimate trade.

Delegates examined strategies to strengthen the ECOWAS Common External Tariff and endorsed a series of coordinated international actions aimed at curbing revenue leakages and dismantling transnational criminal networks.

The conference concluded with commitments to deepen collaboration across the WCO‑WCA region, reinforcing customs administrations as critical actors in safeguarding societies while facilitating trade.



SA