Two trucks carrying items estimated at GHC770, 000 has been impounded at the Takoradi port by the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) for tax evasion.

Ahiakpor said the impounded 40 foot containers are currently undergoing due processes to compel the owners to pay their duties with penalty.

“The state is waiting for them [owners of the trucks] to come up and just that two [trucks], the duty liability, including penalty is GHC750, 000. I am waiting for them, they will put in their declarations and then we can collect GHC750, 000,” he said.

He added: “The spare parts too if I should estimate it, if I do not expect to get anything less than 20, 000 out of that operation.”

Ahiakpor said smuggling of items to avoid paying tax is a regular occurrence in Kumasi.

“What they were carrying is high duty and that is what is going on in Kumasi now. [They will not] smuggling. Habits and whatever they say die hard,” he said.

Ahiakpor said his outfit has been trying hard to educate them on the need to pay taxes. “Nobody likes to pay taxes but then you have to debrief the person, try to conscientise them to try and educate them to know that look it [is] a civic duty, it [is] a civic responsibility, it is the taxes that they use to do the development that we all yearn for.”