The Acting Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Mr. Aaron Kanor, has marked his first official visit to the Port of Tema with a clear message of reform, discipline and renewed purpose.

The working tour, his maiden operational engagement since assuming office, signals a determined push to strengthen revenue mobilisation and improve trade efficiency at Ghana’s busiest port.

Tema Port remains the country’s single most important trade gateway and a major anchor for national revenue.

Mr. Kanor’s visit therefore carried both symbolic and practical weight, as he moved swiftly to engage officers on the ground and align operations with the President’s “Big Push” agenda focused on economic growth and competitiveness.

In a notable show of leadership direction, the Commissioner was accompanied by two senior female officers recently entrusted with critical national responsibilities.

Deputy Commissioner Theresa Potakey now leads Customs Operations nationwide, while Deputy Commissioner Nana Birago Owusu-Ansah oversees the Suspense Regime, which includes Transit, Free Zones, Comprise and Warehousing.

Their presence underscored a deliberate effort to elevate competent women into strategic command positions within the service.

The delegation’s first stop was the GPHA Towers, where they held high-level talks with the Director-General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Major General Paul Seidu Tanye-Kulono.

Discussions centred on deepening institutional cooperation, streamlining cargo clearance processes and tightening transit trade management to protect state revenue.

Mr. Kanor stressed that collaboration between Customs and GPHA is not optional but essential.

He noted that real-time coordination is critical if Ghana is to eliminate bottlenecks, curb leakages and position Tema as the preferred trade and transit hub for landlocked neighbours in the sub-region.

Major General Tanye-Kulono reaffirmed GPHA’s readiness to work closely with Customs to ensure efficient port operations and seamless cargo movement. Both leaders agreed that a unified front among port stakeholders is key to strengthening Ghana’s competitiveness.

The Commissioner also paid a courtesy call on the Director of Port – Tema, Mr. Tebon Zumah Esq., to assess operational realities at the local level.

In addition, engagements were extended to the Ghana Police Service within the port enclave to reinforce inter-agency collaboration in tackling smuggling and other trade-related offences.

Addressing frontline Customs officers, Mr. Kanor acknowledged the pressures of port duty but reminded them of their strategic importance.

He described Tema as the line where Ghana’s trade credibility and revenue performance are tested daily.

He pledged protection for officers who act with integrity, promised to advocate for better tools and welfare support, and announced the introduction of a quarterly recognition programme to reward excellence.

In return, he called for strict adherence to integrity, speed and fairness as the defining standards for Tema operations.

Ending his address on a firm note, the Commissioner urged officers to take ownership of the port’s future.

He challenged them to restore Tema’s status as West Africa’s leading trade hub, setting the tone for what is shaping up to be a results-driven and reform-focused tenure at the Customs Division.