The Tree Crop Development Authority (TCDA) has commenced a sensitization exercise on the sale of smuggled cooking oil from Togo.
The exercise which began on Friday, December 8, 2023, at the CMB market in Accra saw a task force visit various shops to fish out smuggled cooking oil such as Aicha oil into the country which are sold at cheaper prices causing local producers to lose.
Visiting some shops where few of the smuggled oils were found, the owners denied having knowledge of the oils being smuggled into the country adding that they bought them from the free zone area in Tema.
According to Paul Amaning, coordinator of the task force, as the festive period approaches, TCDA’s main objective is to ensure that locally manufactured cooking oils are sold on the market to help boost the economy and create jobs in the value chain.
He also mentioned that, though TCDA is tasked to protect the local manufacturer and ensure no smuggled vegetable cooking oil is found on the market, it is not against importation.
“Once you import your cooking oil through the right channel that is the port and pay the necessary duties, we are okay with it”, he emphasized.
He further cautioned the general public especially market women to desist from smuggling vegetable oil through the borders into the country.
“We will not hesitate to seize any smuggled oil we see on the market”, he stressed.
