The Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr Aaron Kannor, is currently on a working tour of the Oti Region, in what sources say is a move to motivate officers and familiarise himself with the operational difficulties at the frontline.
Mr Kannor, who has just been confirmed as the substantive Commissioner of Customs after serving in an acting capacity, is using the tour to acquaint himself with the realities of the job at some of the most remote duty posts in the region.
In an exclusive interview with The Chronicle, the Commissioner stated that, the visit is not a ceremonial one, that he wants to see for himself what the men go through and to encourage them.
“I don’t want to be sitting in Accra to receive reports”, he said.
Accompanied by his two able lieutenants, Deputy Commissioner Operations, Mrs Theresah Potaki, Deputy Commissioner in-charge of Suspense Regime, Mrs Birago Owusu-Ansah, the tour took them to not only the established stations, but also to remote areas where his men operate under difficult conditions.
The team visited Menusi, Tindjase, Poase Cement and Ahamanso Check Points, all in the Oti Region.
In Dambai, the capital, the team paid courtesy calls on the Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Gyapong and security agencies.
In what is described as a first in the life of a Commissioner, he crossed the Ghana-Togo border to interact with his counterparts in the francophone state.
The cross-border engagement, he said, is aimed at strengthening cooperation between Ghana and Togo on border security, revenue mobilisation and the fight against smuggling and other trans-border crimes along the Oti corridor.
Discussions at the meeting, he went on, centred on collaboration among the security services, support for Customs operations in the region and measures to improve trade facilitation while curbing smuggling.
Officers who interacted with the Commissioner during the tour said he urged them to remain professional, disciplined and committed to the national revenue target, while assuring them that their welfare and working conditions remain a priority for his administration.
