GRA to improve Customs payment process after passenger’s complaint

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) says it is introducing alternative procedures to improve Customs payment processes during system interruptions following a complaint by a passenger who paid GH¢800 at Accra International Airport but left without an official receipt.

The Authority said it had also begun reviewing how Customs officers engage with travellers at Ghana’s entry points to improve communication, ensure proper documentation of payments and provide clearer explanations of duty assessments.

In a statement released on October 9, 2026, GRA apologised to the passenger, Gifty Osei Bonsu, whose encounter with Customs officers sparked allegations of extortion on social media.

The Authority said preliminary investigations found that the money was paid into its revenue account on the same day, attributing the delay in processing the payment and issuing a receipt to a temporary failure of its Customs system.

According to GRA, Bonsu arrived in Ghana aboard an EgyptAir flight on October 3 at 12:48 p.m. Her luggage was selected for further checks after scanning, during which officers found 20 pairs of new women’s shoes, nine new women’s dresses, 18 new men’s shirts and four new wigs.

Customs officers assessed a duty of GH¢807.68 on the shoes. However, the Authority said its Integrated Customs Management System, which processes Customs transactions, was temporarily unavailable when officers raised the assessment.

GRA said Bonsu informed the officers that she had another flight to catch and paid GH¢600 towards the duty. Her friend added GH¢200, bringing the total to GH¢800.

She left the airport before the system was restored and a receipt could be issued, according to the statement.

The Authority said the officers contributed GH¢7.68 from their own funds to cover the outstanding balance. The full amount of GH¢807.68 was subsequently paid into GRA’s revenue account at Ecobank at about 4:57 p.m. that day.

An official receipt was later generated in the passenger’s name, GRA said.

“GRA wishes to assure the public that the transaction was undertaken in good faith and that the assessed duty was duly accounted for,” the statement read.

The Authority nevertheless acknowledged the lengthy wait and apologised to Bonsu for the inconvenience, saying a system failure should not leave passengers facing uncertainty or an unpleasant experience.

As part of the review of its procedures, GRA said it would focus on professional communication, clear explanations of duty assessments and proper records of payments.

It is also developing clearer guidance to help passengers understand which goods attract duties, how charges are calculated, and how to challenge an assessment or report an officer’s conduct.

Details of the improved procedures and complaint channels will be announced later, the Authority said.

GRA urged travellers carrying goods that attract duties to insist on an assessment notice, make payments through approved channels and obtain an official receipt for every transaction.