The National Chairman of the Chamber of Automobile Dealership Ghana (CADEG) Mr. Eddie Kusi Ankomah has
advised importers not to rely on clearing agents to pay their duties but should rather do it themselves since all
payments are done at the bank to avoid problems with customs when transporting their goods to their destinations.
“It now different from those days that importers didn’t know how much to pay and will give money to clearing
agents to pay our duties for us but now after declaration customs will send the duties to the agent which has to be
paid at the bank, so you have to ask the agent who is clearing your goods to give you by the duty bill so that you pay
it yourself,” he said:
“Please stop giving money to agents to pay your bills at the Port. They are giving us problems and the result is that
he overcharges you, the agents will re-do invoices that will not be just as you gave him and after that your goods are
out of the port, customs will intercept them for reexamination and it would be found out that, the duty paid isdifferent from what is in the container. According to the customs they are working on intelligence reports from the
same clearing agents. So please before paying duties make sure that the items declared on the BOE is correct to
avoid these problems,” he added.
Mr. Eddie Kusi Ankomah, who is the CEO of Erata Motors gave this advice when the Chamber of Automobile
Dealership Ghana in collaboration with Ghana Customs Division organized a stakeholders’ engagement to address
trade facilitation challenges facing importers in Ghana in Kumasi.
President of Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) Dr. Joseph Obeng revealed that, the Customs Division of
GRA has been harassing their members with numerous checks on their imported goods targeting members in the
Northern part of the country mostly the Ashanti region.
“We are not trying to prevent you from doing your work, but the frequency at which you do it is where our concerns
lies,” he indicated.
Dr. Obeng said when the frequency of the checks becomes recurring, then it looks like businesses in the Ashanti
region or the northern sector is targeted since such incidents has not been happening in Accra or Takoradi.
Deputy Commissioner of Operations of GRA, Baffour Anane Asare urged importers to take key interest in payment
of their duties at the Ports to avoid having problems with customs.
Responding to concerns raised by importers concerning numerous checks, the Deputy Commissioner said the
Customs Division sometimes set up these checks to identify goods that were wrongly identified or that were under
declared since their scanning machines cannot identify every item in the container.
He promised the importers that concerns raised during the engagement will be addressed to ensure that businesses
develop to help in revenue collection.
President of Chamber of Automobile Dealership Ghana, Nana Adu Bonsu stated that the automobile industry in
Ghana holds immense potential to drive economic growth, create employment opportunities and contribute to the
development of the nation. However, we find ourselves at a crossroads, facing obstacles that threaten to stifles our
growth and hinder our ambition.
He said, “The challenges we face are multifaceted, ranging from cumbersome trade procedures and complex
regulations to corrupt practices that erode trust and hinder progress.”
Nana Adu Bonsu who is also the CEO of NABUS Motors appealed to business owners to confront the challenges
facing the business communities head-on, armed with innovative ideas, collaborative efforts and an unwavering
commitment to change.
