OSP welcomes reversal discount policy on imported vehicles, general goods

The Office of the Special Prosecutor has welcomed the reversal of the discretionary discount on the Free on Board (FOB) value of goods and the home delivery value (HDV) of vehicles.

The reversal takes effect on January 1, 2023.

A statement issued by the Special Prosecutor on Thursday said the new policy effectively shuts all avenues for officers of the customs division to grant discretionary markdowns and removes opportunities for corruption and corruption-related activities.

The move comes on the back of various investigations and interventions at the Customs Division by the Office of the Special Prosecutor following the OSP’s investigation report in respect of a complaint against Labianca Company Limited and the Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority.

A major finding of the investigation, which led to the recovery of GH¢1,074,627.15, is that there appears to be an institutionalised culture of lighthearted unconcern regarding the impropriety of action at the Customs Division in respect of the grant of customs advance rulings and other rulings regarding the importation of goods – which indicates a high propensity to engender corruption and corruption-related activities.

Meanwhile, the Special Prosecutor in its statement further noted that the various investigations commenced at the customs division would still proceed nonetheless and the Office will monitor the implementation of the new policy.