Report by Ben LARYEA
The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana has organized a day’s forum for some selected news editors on their operations at the country’s ports in Accra.
The gesture is to sensitize the respective media houses on accurate reportage and the terminology on port activities as well as the emerging trends in the port value chain.
Group picture of participants
Present at the forum were Ghana Links, Meridian Ports Services (MPS), Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Association of Customs House Agents Ghana (ACHAG), Traders Advocacy Group (TAG), Integrated Customs Management Systems (ICUMS).
The rest are Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Customs Brokerage Association of Ghana (CUBAG), Ghana Union Trade Association (GUTA), Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF).
Speaking at the forum, the Executive Secretary of Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, Mr. Samson Asaki Awingobit said the forum will create a linkage between media houses on port operations and activities as well as to share knowledge and deliberate on challenges at the port and the measures to put in place for accurate and effective reportage.
He however commended the media for the cooperation with the Association and other players in the ports value chain saying such forum will periodically be organised to keep the media abreast with issues at the port.
For his part the Deputy Commissioner of Customs, Mr. Adu Adjei said customs operations have been digitized which have led to a smooth operations at the ports, adding that rules and regulations have been well coordinated and designed to meet global best practices.
According to him, customs officers must be oriented to have up to current operations on port activities such importing and exporting accompanied with the relevant duties as well as stakeholders’ inputs at the port and again explained that with a collective effort of all players in the port industry government will be able to raise the needed revenue for the socio-economic development of the country.
He however commended government for the automation at the ports saying it has led to the abolishment of the manual works and has brought transparency in business transactions.
The GUTA President, Dr. Joseph Obeng in a statement thanked government on the discounts declared on some goods and services and called for further reduction on duties as some importers find it difficult to pay duties on imported items which ends up been auctioned for public use but was quick to state that the process must be done in transparent manner.
“GUTA in this regard is calling for a review of the auction process and explained that there must be a criteria on discount and other monetary issues on the number of containers of goods imported into the country”, he stressed and urged the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to also have periodic engagement with stakeholders at the port and business entities in the trading space particularly on taxes and duties.
A Former President of Ghana Institute of Freight Fowarders (GIFF), Mr. Joseph Agbaga urged port authorities to work fervently on commercial logistics to make Ghana the hub of the West African sub-region.
He advised the management of the port to review port charges, demurrages, taxes and stated that the facilities and policies have attracted high payment of goods and services.
(The Daily Searchlight appears every day on the newsstands and for sale 24 hours every day and all week on www.ghananewsstand.com. Visit www.ghananewsstand.com for a wide variety of newspapers published in Ghana and from across the world.)
