The Food and Beverages Association of Ghana (FABAG) has called on government to extend the ban on selected transit goods beyond the Aflao border to all land entry points across the country.
In a statement issued Monday, FABAG commended the Government of Ghana and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) for what it described as a bold and timely directive banning the entry of transit goods for selected products through the Aflao border.
The Association said the move is a decisive step toward safeguarding local industries, protecting government revenue and strengthening regulatory control at Ghana’s borders.
For years, FABAG noted, the influx of transit goods through land borders has posed serious challenges to legitimate businesses.
It said the practice has undermined local manufacturing, distorted market competition and weakened the import ecosystem, particularly within the food and beverages sector, where unregulated inflows have had severe implications for local producers and formal sector operators.
However, the Association warned that limiting enforcement to Aflao alone could defeat the policy’s purpose.
“Limiting such enforcement to a single border risks diversion of transit goods to other entry points, thereby defeating the policy’s intended objective,” the statement said.
FABAG is therefore urging government and the GRA to extend the directive to all other land borders without exception.
Beyond that, the Association is pushing for a broader restriction. It is recommended that the scope of the directive move beyond transit consignments to a complete ban on the entry of the affected products through land borders into Ghana, whether for transit or direct consumption.
According to FABAG, a partial restriction that targets only transit goods may create loopholes that can be exploited, leading to continued smuggling, under-declaration and unfair market practices.
The Association argued that a nationwide and comprehensive enforcement regime would protect local industries and jobs, promote fair trade and competitive neutrality, curb smuggling and illicit trade, enhance revenue mobilisation and strengthen border security and regulatory oversight.
It stressed that Ghana’s manufacturing and formal trading sectors are already operating under significant cost pressures, including high tariffs, taxes, logistics costs and regulatory burdens.
Allowing uncontrolled inflows of goods through porous land borders, FABAG warned, places compliant businesses at a severe disadvantage and threatens the sustainability of domestic production.
The Association called on Customs, border security authorities, and regulatory institutions to collaborate to ensure strict enforcement of the directive nationwide.
It emphasised that consistency in policy implementation across all land entry points is critical to achieving the desired economic and regulatory impact.
FABAG reiterated its full support for the government’s efforts to sanitise the trading environment and protect the integrity of Ghana’s borders, adding that it remains committed to constructive engagement with policymakers to promote policies that support local industry growth, revenue protection and national economic resilience.
