Ghana Link Network Services Ltd, the technical operators of Ghana’s Electronic Cargo Tracking (E-Tracking) system, has rejected assertions made by a National Security officer in Kumasi questioning the system’s reliability. The company described the remarks as inaccurate and potentially damaging to inter-agency cooperation and national customs reforms.
The officer, who spoke to journalists during a cargo inspection exercise in Kumasi, reportedly cited a consignment under Bill of Entry (BOE) number 80525271236, suggesting the E-Tracking devices used to monitor its movement were unreliable.
However, in a detailed rejoinder issued on Wednesday, June 4, Ghana Link stated that the E-Tracking system functioned effectively throughout the process and that all activities were conducted under the full supervision of the Ghana Revenue Authority’s Customs Division.
According to the statement, the consignment began its journey on May 9, 2025, when two tracking devices were installed on trucks operated by JOELIGHT INVESTMENT LTD at the Akanu border post in the Volta Region. On May 16, following overloading detected at the Axle Weighing Station on the Accra-Tema Motorway, a third truck was introduced. Customs granted permission for the cargo to be transferred and a third device was affixed to the new vehicle.
Later that same day, the company reports, an E-Tracking officer affixing the new device was confronted by eight National Security operatives who demanded the device be unlocked to divert the truck to a state warehouse. Lacking the appropriate legal authorisation, the officer refused and was briefly detained before being released after intervention by Ghana Link’s E-Tracking Manager.
Ghana Link described the encounter as troubling, noting that attempts to bypass official customs procedures and intimidate field officers undermine national systems and coordinated enforcement efforts.
On May 26, the declarant applied to change the cargo regime from transit to home consumption, a request that was approved by Customs. The goods were subsequently routed to Kumasi for examination and the payment of duties. That same day, the tracking system issued an automated rope-cut alert, which was promptly investigated, according to the company.
Upon arrival in Kumasi on May 28, the Sector Commander directed that the trucks be sent to the Aboabo Transit Yard. Representatives from Customs, the National Security Secretariat, the National Investigations Bureau (NIB), and Ghana Link’s Kumasi E-Tracking Unit were present for the device unlocking and inspection. It was during this inspection that the National Security officer made the controversial remarks to members of the press.
Ghana Link maintains that the E-Tracking system, which integrates with the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), is a tamper-evident, GPS-enabled solution that offers real-time tracking and route monitoring. The company stated that the system meets international security and compliance standards and has contributed significantly to revenue assurance, cargo visibility, and operational transparency.
“All tracking devices were affixed under Customs supervision, system alerts were automatically generated, and at no point did any device fail,” said Norvan Acquah-Hayford, Head of Public Relations for Ghana Link.
He added that the company remains committed to upholding transparency and enhancing collaboration with all state agencies involved in cargo management and national security.
The company expressed concern over what it termed “unsubstantiated public claims” by a security officer, warning that such actions risk eroding public confidence in one of the country’s key trade facilitation tools. Ghana Link has called for constructive engagement among stakeholders to strengthen coordination across the cargo clearance and monitoring value chain.
“We reaffirm our commitment to transparency, security, and collaborative governance in the interest of Ghana’s trade and national revenue mobilisation,” the statement concluded.