GRA is intimidating us — Customs Staff Association

According to them, the Association said the GRA is intimidating their National Secretary, Gift Emmanuel Kofi Tsamah after he appeared on Joy News to provide education on the Custom Division's activities at the ports.

The officer spoke on Joy News to discuss mechanisms to improve the revenue collection at the Tema port in the wake of the Special Prosecutor's damning findings into Labianca company's dealings with the Customs Division of GRA.

On August 17, 2022, Tsamah had cause to respond to the query issued to him by GRA Management saying he obtained lawful authority before participating in the discussion on Joy News on Sunday, August 14, 2022.

"It is my humble and respectful submission that the said press engagement by my good self was carried out pursuant to lawful authority," the officer added.

The Customs Staff Association condemned the tactics meted to its leadership describing the query as "very frivolous and vexatious."

"One wonders what crime is committed when the CSA engages the public to provide the needed tax education to bring clarity to matters of public concern and bring better understanding to our tax laws," it said.

In a letter written to the GRA's Commissioner General, the CSA questioned whether "sections of Top Management stand to benefit from the distortions, misconceptions, and misapplications of Customs laws."

The Association also highlighted a supposed query sent to another official, Francis Wulf-Ashun of the KIA Collection.

According to the statement, Wuf-Ashun is also being questioned for supposedly "granting a media interview during a CSA organised meeting with Officers of the Collection, which meeting had in attendance, the Commissioner of Customs Division over threats of a sit-down strike due to the poor management of promotions within the Authority."