The Food and Beverages Association of Ghana (FABAG) says the government’s decision to restrict the entry of selected goods through land borders could help boost state revenue and curb smuggling.
In a statement issued on March 12 2026, the Association commended the Ministry of Finance and the Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, for introducing the policy which requires selected goods to enter Ghana through seaports instead.
The directive affects products including rice, sugar, flour, textiles, spaghetti and tomato paste.
FABAG says the move is a bold and timely intervention aimed at tackling long-standing problems of smuggling, revenue losses and the misclassification of goods in Ghana’s trade system.
According to the Association, Ghana has over the years lost significant revenue through abuse of the transit trade regime.
FABAG also noted that, some traders declare goods as transit cargo destined for neighbouring countries, only to divert them into the Ghanaian market through land borders without paying the required duties and taxes.
The Association argues that routing the affected goods through the country’s seaports will improve monitoring, inspection and documentation, helping to reduce the risk of diversion and smuggling.
The Association is also calling on key institutions, including the Ghana Revenue Authority and its Customs Division, to strictly enforce the directive.
FABAG further urged the government to expand the list of restricted transit goods to include products such as fruit juices to prevent possible loopholes.
It also warned that some traders may attempt to bypass the new rules by deliberately misclassifying goods in order to evade the controls.
