The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) says it will work with other state agencies to clamp down on the importation and clearance of some right-hand drive vehicles, following safety concerns raised by the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA).

The move comes after the NRSA’s technical committee flagged the Toyota Voxy, a vehicle commonly imported and converted for commercial passenger transport, as unsafe for long-distance travel. The Authority has since moved to restrict its use, citing risks to commuters and other road users.

Speaking on the Joy FM Super Morning Show on Friday, April 10, the Commissioner-General of the GRA, Anthony Kwasi Sarpong, said the Authority will not prioritise revenue collection over public safety.

He explained that while vehicle regulation is not directly within the GRA’s core mandate, the Authority works closely with other institutions when safety issues arise.

“This is an evolving matter that has just come to us in terms of GRA. When it comes to the licensing and regulation of the correct vehicle that must be on our roads, it falls outside the domain of GRA,” he said.

Mr Sarpong added that the GRA often collaborates with security and regulatory agencies when imported goods or vehicles pose a public risk.

“In our work, we collaborate with a number of agencies. When matters come to our attention, although our mandate is to raise revenue, we do collaborate and sometimes override the objective of revenue,” he said.

He pointed to previous enforcement actions at the ports where safety and security concerns took priority over revenue generation.

“For example, in the area of narcotics, when we find goods containing banned substances, we hand them over to the narcotics control unit. There are many instances where we have destroyed items and did not allow revenue to be a factor,” he said.

Mr Sarpong also cited the seizure of excavators at the port, saying some were blocked from entering the country due to concerns about illegal mining activities.

“We could have allowed them to come in, but we reasoned that if those excavators contribute to galamsey, we had to raise the alarm,” he said.

He said a similar approach would now be applied to the issue of vehicles such as the Toyota Voxy, which has been identified as a safety risk.

“In this area of vehicles, it is a new issue that is coming up. We are going to work with sister agencies and come out with a plan and system to ensure its continued existence is stopped, so it does not become a danger on our roads.”

Meanwhile, following the rollout of the Publican AI system for import clearance, the GRA boss explains that the system forms part of efforts to modernise customs operations, improve efficiency at the ports, and strengthen revenue mobilisation.

He insists it will not lead to any new charges or hidden costs for importers.

Read also: No new taxes or charges- GRA boss assures importers over rollout of Publican AI system