Customs holds seminar for Tema journalists

Tema, Sep 23, GNA - The Tema Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), on Thursday re-affirmed its commitment and dedication to providing efficient, fair, transparent and improved customer services. Mr Yussif Adam Ibrahim, Tema Sector Commander of the Division, said despite public criticisms and complaints against the Authority, its staff would continue to work assiduously to win the confidence and trust of its customers.

He gave this assurance when he addressed members of the Tema Chapter of the Ghana Journalists' Association, at a day's seminar in Tema on Fr= iday. It was aimed at educating media practitioners on the operations of the Customs Division of the GRA, especially at the Ports. The event was to educate journalists on the functioning of Customs so that they could accurately report on activities of Customs, to correct the erroneous public impression about the Division.

The participants were taken through 93Basic requirements for Clearance/Valuation;" 93GCNet/GCMS-Customs New Operational System and it= s Effects," among other topics. Mr Ibrahim gave an overview of the New GCMS Transit Modile and said that deficiencies were identified in the system and procedure of GCMS.

These, he said, included an inefficient manual system of processing transit insurance bonds, difficulty in authenticating transit documents by officers at intervening stations, and an inefficient mode of discharging transit insurance bonds.

Mr Ibrahim said to overcome these challenges, and to facilitate trade, an enhanced Transit Cargo Module that closely integrated transit operations in GCNet/GCMS, was developed and implemented in September 4, 2006 on pilot basis for transactions, using the Tema-Paga route. He said, in November of that same year, the routes were extended to include the Tema-Kulungugu, and Tema-Pulimakrom routes.

Touching on goods clearance, the Mr Ibrahim said the procedure started with completion of an assessment form by an applicant or agent, after which the Customs would make an assessment based on the information provided. He said after the applicant had passed a Customs declaration, he or she was made to pay duty on the goods at the Bank, followed by vetting of the declaration by a Compliance Officer, selected by the GCMS/GCNet. Mr Ibrahim said where there was no discrepancy, the examination office= r entered the report in the GCMS, and then released the document. He said: 93the document goes through preventive check and is finally released from Customs control." On the GCNet, Mr Ibrahim explained that the system had been designed t= o enable other stations to collect relevant information on consignments, whic= h arrived at the Ports, prior to their examination.

He said GCNet helped to transmit information electronically and automatically, whilst making it possible for Customs officials to secure accurate and reliable information on overdue bonds. Mr Dominic Hlordzi, Vice Chairman of the Tema GJA, urged stakeholders to support Customs in its bid to ensure that its valued customers or client= s pay their taxes. The practitioners toured sections of the Customs, including the Compliance, Shed 10, and Golden Jubilee Terminal.