Customs Division Tema Collection Sector engages stakeholders

The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Tema Collection Sector, has embarked on a series of engagements with stakeholders to build a cordial working relationship to improve operations.

Speaking at one of the series of engagements, the Assistant Commissioner of Customs, Madam Christiana Adjei, the Tema Sector Commander (Customs Division), said the aim was to help improve efficiency at the port.

Madam Adjei appealed to importers to collaborate with the Division to improve service delivery, revenue mobilisation, and fast-track activities at the port.

She said the Customs team was ready to receive any information or complaint from the importers and encouraged them to report issues they faced at the port during clearance to help Customs to collaborate with the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority to create a friendly working environment.

Mr George Dumenu, Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Automobile Dealership Ghana (CADEG), on his part, appealed to Customs to prompt government to keep the dollar rate stable for at least three to six months to help increase government revenue at the port.

Mr Dumenu noted that the consistent dollar rate increment at the Port was making it difficult for importers to plan for their operations and led to an increase in the cost of imported goods on the market.

He also reiterated the need to unify the many governmental agencies at the Port having multiplicity of rules and regulations, importers must at the port complied with could not be overemphasised.

Mr Kusi Ankomah, an Executive Member of CADEG, expressed concern about vehicles imported from America and Canada sometimes being classified as "Stolen Vehicle" in Ghana.

He described the recent raid in various dealerships by the Economic and organized Crime Organisation, National Investigation Bureau, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Royal Canada Mount Police, and the Ghana Police Service as unfortunate.

He said the seizure of several vehicles and subsequent arrest and harassment of owners of these garages had created huge mistrust between buyers of used vehicles and dealerships in Ghana.

He said, “we are of the view that these inspectorate agencies are required to verify all these vehicles and their requisite documents and approve same before we were allowed to pay huge import taxes to the state.

“It then comes to us as a surprise that these vehicles after going through these checks are now tagged as Stolen Vehicles."

In its first stakeholder engagement, management of the Sector met with freight forwarders and agents’ associations such as the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders, Association of Customs House Agents, Customs Brokers Association and Freight Forwarders Association of Ghana.

The second engagement saw management interacting with trade associations including the Association of Ghana Industries, Ghana Union of Trade Association, Trade Advocacy Association of Ghana, and the Chamber of Automobile Dealership Ghana which uses Tema Port as a point of clearing their imports.