CEPS EXCEEDS TARGET AT ELUBO (PAGE 20)

STORY: Kwame Asiedu Marfo, Elubo

THE Elubo collection point of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) has collected import and transit revenues of GH¢
5,054,230 last year.
The amount represents 51 per cent increase over the 2006 revenue collected by the service, and is also the highest since the border was opened in 1986.
Speaking at the end-of-year get-together, the Assistant Commissioner in charge of Elubo Collection, Mr Dwomoh Gwirah, said his outfit was able to achieve the feat as a result of several measures put in place.
These included internal vigilance, tax education embarked upon in the year as well as the commitment, dedication and hard work of the personnel at the collection point.
Mr Gwirah also expressed gratitude to the other border operatives for their collaborative, complementary and supportive roles in the revenue collection for 2007.
He said the success came at a time the border faced a lot of challenges, including the unstable political situation in Cote d’Ivoire, which affected cross-border trade, and the energy crisis that Ghana experienced in 2007.
Mr Gwirah stated that his outfit was ready to exceed its revenue target for 2008, and called on traders and operators who plied the border to help them to achieve the service’s objective.
He said the CEPS management had approved funds for the start of work on the proposed car park at the border to facilitate the movement of goods and reduce congestion at the border.
The assistant commissioner reminded the border operatives of the challenges ahead, especially the general election in Cote d’Ivoire, slated for the middle of the year and the country’s general election in December.
He, therefore, called for a continued co-operation and collaboration among the various agencies as “any blemish on the part of one agency would mean equal embarrassment to all.”