No automatic Permits renewals in 2003 - Immigration

From the beginning of next year, the renewal of work and residence permits for foreigners would no longer be automatic for applicants but would be based on performance of companies with regard to tax obligations, audited account and transfer of technology, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) said on Thursday.

Ms. Elizabeth Adjei, Director of the GIS, said the service has embarked on an exercise to register lawful immigrants who can show that they are in productive business.

"We are determined to be fair, firm and tough to safeguard the economic and security well being of citizens ", she told the Ghana News Agency in an interview to assess the performance of the service 100 days after her appointment as the first woman and immigration recruit to assume the top most job in the service.

Ms Adjei said the GIS was initiating measures to maximize the retention of foreign investment and expertise to support the Golden Age of Business declared by the President John Agyekum Kufuor.

"For instance our interaction with foreign businesses reveals the shortage of accounting personnel in this country, which is worrying. This information would guide us in the determination of quotas for the recruitment of certified accounting personnel for specific period".

The immigration boss admitted that even the advanced economies, which are quick to repatriate illegal immigrants, are always ready to welcome skilled and trained professionals such as doctors and nurses to meet the skills requirement of the respective countries.

Ms Adjei said that a business facilitation desk is to be established by the service to satisfy the business concerns of the business community with regards to immigration.

She said her administration was determined to eject a maximum degree of professionalism into the immigration services to face the challenges of globalization.

"Ghana needs to maintain an efficient and effective immigration that combines stringent control with the facilitation of legitimate business and adherence of international standards, " she said.

She declared, "Modern immigration is more than just enforcement of law, it is political and economic tool for development and countries such as Israel, Singapore and Australia have used it to their full advantage."

Ms Adjei noted that the service has a role to play in ensuring the inflow of an investment capital, skills and technology and at the same time deterrent of unlawful entry by illegal immigrants and criminals.

The GIS, she said, would deal decisively with foreigners who reside in the country without proper legal status.

"We do recognize the pact as regard to ECOWAS citizens, but since Ghana is one of the strong economies in the sub region, it naturally has a lot of full factors for immigrants and criminals. There is an exercise to register lawful immigrants who can show that they are in productive business"

She said in the aftermath of the terrorist attack in the United States immigration enforcement has changed worldwide, adding that her outfit is in constant touch with security agencies as to warnings and suspicions and this would be enhanced with electronic equipment next year.

Ms Adjei noted that in spite of the ambitions and set goals of the service, lack of finance for its operations has contributed to it inability to achieve its targets.

"We need funds to equip officers to draw balance control and service. They must be abreast with current information and equipments for dealing with and processing sensitive information"

She has, therefore, requested from the ministry of finance to withhold some of the funds generated internally by the service, whose target for next year is about 50 billion cedis.