‘Restrict Freezones Goods’

The Collector in-charge of Freezones, Sharon Quaye has called for laws to restrict the importation of some goods into Ghana’s Freezones sector.

Madam Quaye made this known at a tax education programme organized by Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) for its members in Accra recently.

The aim of the programme was to educate the general public, entrepreneurs and business men on suspense and regime which include transit and freezones.

Madam Quaye said the laws would help sustain local initiatives and encourage indigenous entrepreneurs, adding that “the law should indicate which goods could be imported into the freezone.

She said policy makers should make efforts in line with the Revise Kyoto Convention to introduce modernization into freezone operations.

This, Madam Quaye said, would dislodge the traditional way of doing things manually, which makes controlling and monitoring difficult.

She said the country derives a lot of benefits from the freezone operation, which includes attraction of foreign direct investment, creation of employment opportunities and provision of business opportunities for foreign and local investors to undertake joint ventures.

Others include the enhancement of technical and managerial skills/expertise of Ghanaians and promotion of the transfer of technology and diversification of experts.

Madam Quaye said measures had been put in place to prevent goods meant for the freezones from entering the market.

She said custom officers had been stationed at the freezones bonded warehouses and shops to monitor, control and prevent, adding that goods are also escorted right from the bonded warehouse to the shops.

Madam Quaye said for commercial freezones that operate diplomatic and duty free shops, diplomats are given card holder demarcations which emanates from the embassies to enable them shop in the diplomatic shops.

She added that the cards are to ensure that they qualify to purchase items in the diplomatic shops, adding that one should have a boarding pass to qualify to buy goods at the diplomatic shops.