General News of 2026-09-03
'You can only carry 2 phones into Ghana, anything more; you will pay duty - GRA
Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Customs Commissioner Aaron Kanor has cautioned travellers against carrying multiple phones on behalf of others when returning to Ghana, warning that doing so amounts to commercial importation and attracts duty.
Speaking to the media at the Accra International Airport, Kanor illustrated the point with a hypothetical scenario involving several people asking a traveller to bring back phones on their behalf.
"Ama gives you one phone, Kofi gives you, Adwoa, Akua, all the seven-day borns, they all give you phones, when you carry all those seven phones and you arrive, it will amount to commercial. Because you as an individual, you are entitled to one," he said.
Kanor noted that two phones were the most an individual could carry without paying duty.
"So, I implore that when you are coming home [to Ghana], you do not collect people's things. If you collect them and they are beyond two, one individual you can only carry two: one for yourself and maybe one for your wife.
"But beyond that, then it amounts to commercial. Because all these phones are expensive. Look at the iPhone, Samsung; they are very expensive and that is where we can get our revenue," Kanor said.
Kanor's remarks come months after a December 2025 incident in which a traveller alleged extortion after paying import duty on 18 mobile phones at the Accra International Airport.
In a statement issued on December 11, 2025, the GRA said the traveller arrived at Accra International Airport on December 5 carrying 18 phones and various accessories that were not declared and exceeded the personal concession allowed under the Exemptions Act 2022 (Act 1083).
The authority said the traveller was issued a Bill of Entry and required to pay duty through the standard Customs process and denied allegations that officers had extorted money from him or detained him.
According to the traveller, he paid 12,690.63 as import duty for the phones and other accessories.
