Story: Nana Konadu Agyeman, Koforidua
THE Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, has commended personnel of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) for their efforts in curbing smuggling and other illegal activities at checkpoints in the region.
He said the action would go a long way to raise the necessary revenue to support the government to meet its budgetary targets for the year.
Mr Asiedu made the commendation at an end-of-year get-together for the service at Koforidua.
He, however, stated that "since we are the hen that lays the golden egg, we should sustain efforts at policing the checkpoints to discourage smuggling and other illegal activities in the area".
The event was used to reward hard-working officers of the service, with an Assistant Collector, Mr Emmanuel Adam, emerging as the overall best senior officer.
The regional minister stated that since smugglers and other people engaged in illegal activities would always devise strategies to outwit personnel of CEPS in order to carry out their illegal activities, any lapse on their part could punch holes at the checkpoints to facilitate the illegal activities of smugglers.
“Smuggling does not only undermine the country's efforts at raising sufficient revenue for its development agenda, but also encourages illegal movement of people to and from the country, thus encouraging social vices such as armed robbery, human trafficking and trading in narcotic drugs," he stressed.
Mr Asiedu expressed the preparedness of the Regional Co-ordinating Council to support CEPS in fighting smuggling in the region.
The Assistant Commissioner of CEPS in charge of Koforidua Collection, Mr James Teibu, said his outfit was able to collect a total revenue of GH¢8,337,206 out of the GH¢10,291,000 targeted for 2007
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