Government to Introduce Maximum Warehousing Periods to Curb Customs Abuse

The government will introduce statutory time limits for goods kept in bonded warehouses as part of efforts to curb abuse of the warehousing system, improve customs administration and boost domestic revenue collection, Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has announced.

Presenting the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament on Thursday, July 23, Dr. Ato Forson said the reforms are intended to end the prolonged storage of goods in bonded warehouses, a practice that has delayed duty payments, reduced government revenue and contributed to congestion at the country’s ports.

According to the Finance Minister, some importers have taken advantage of the existing system by keeping goods in warehouses for extended periods, thereby postponing customs clearance and the payment of import duties.

To address the challenge, the government will introduce legally defined maximum warehousing periods for different categories of goods.

Under the proposed framework, perishable goods may remain in bonded warehouses for a maximum of three months, general goods for six months, and raw materials for 12 months.

In addition, re-warehousing will be limited to six months, effectively ending the practice of repeatedly extending warehousing periods to defer customs obligations.

“To curb the abuse of warehousing, government will introduce statutory maximum warehousing periods as follows: perishable goods – three months, general goods – six months, raw materials – 12 months, and re-warehousing will be restricted to a maximum of six months, ending the practice of rolling warehouses,” Dr. Ato Forson said.

The Finance Minister also announced that all bonded warehouses will be required to operate electronic inventory management systems linked directly to the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority to enable real-time monitoring and strengthen audit controls.

“Every bonded warehouse will be required to operate an electronic inventory system linked to customs to enable real-time monitoring and audit control. These are not merely administrative adjustments; they are structural reforms designed to accelerate revenue collection, reduce port congestion, improve compliance and provide greater certainty for legitimate businesses.”

Dr. Ato Forson said the measures form part of the government’s broader strategy to modernise customs operations, enhance trade facilitation and strengthen revenue mobilisation while creating a more transparent and efficient environment for importers and exporters.