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Business News of Thursday, 18 October 2018

Source: Nii Ayi Mensah Lartey

GCCI pushes against CTN: Outlines issues with the policy

Dr Nana Appiagyei Dankawoso I, president of Ghana National Commerce & Industry (GCCI) Dr Nana Appiagyei Dankawoso I, president of Ghana National Commerce & Industry (GCCI)

Dr Nana Appiagyei Dankawoso I president of Ghana National Commerce & Industry (GCCI) has raised several concerns about the quick implementation of the Cargo Tracking Note (CTN) policy.

The president stated that the timeline for the implementation of the cargo Tracking Note policy was too short and that the whole process has been rushed. He advised that the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) could have used more stakeholder consultations to address the lapses in policy.

Nana Appiagyei Dankawoso I mentioned that although the chamber was engaged in the initial stages, a lot more could have been done to ensure that both Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and stakeholders have a mutual understanding before the implementation.

"So to speak will anybody die or will we lose any life if we postpone this to the end of the year or beginning of next year, why do we rush for anything that we want to do? Even though it will generate funds for the government but the citizens must understand why they are paying for that". He observed.

Speaking at a press conference organized in Accra yesterday, Dr Nana Appiagyei maintained if proper sensitization and checks are not put in place to ensure the smooth running of the CTN policy, importers may bear costs which exporters are willing to pay. This he said will worsen the already high cost of living in the country because the additional cost will be pushed to the final consumer.

He noted that the third party involved in the implementation is the main cause of the agitations. He further stated that there would be no cause for alarm if GRA was solely handling the policy to improve the country's economy

He also revealed that although The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority is in charge of some of the things, it is not aware of many practices in operation at the ports.

Dr Nana Appiagyei Dankawoso I concluded by saying that although the process of doing business at the port has improved, the cost, however, has increased. He called on appropriate authorities to address the issue.