Assistant Commissioner of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service, who is also in charge of the Tamale Collection, Ernest Frimpong-Nuamah, has declared 2007 an action year to fight smuggling in the Northern Region.

He is convinced that the service can collect more revenue if smuggling activities are curtailed considerably.

Mr. Frimpong-Nuamah, made the declaration in Tamale, at an end of year awards night held for staff under the Tamale Collection.

He said the Tamale Collection ended the year 2006, with mixed outcomes over its revenue targets.

The revenue collected from the lifting of petroleum products from the Buipe Depot, which constitutes about 98 per cent the collection's revenue generation, failed to attain its annual target of over ¢80b. Instead, revenue of ¢50b was collected.

However, the Tamale Collection exceeded its traditional import revenue target of one point five billion by collecting over six billion cedis.

Mr. Frimpong Nuamah attributed the loss in petroleum revenue collection at Buipe Depot to the reduction in the level of the Volta River, which made it impossible for the Volta Queen, to carry petroleum products up North.

He also attributed the excess in the import revenue collection to the vigilance of the Regional Anti-Smuggling Task Force team, which dedicated itself to cause of reducing the rate of smuggling.