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Streamline
clearance procedures at ports; GIFF appeals
Tema, Jan. 29, Ghanadot/GNA - The Ghana Institute of Freight
Forwarders (GIFF) have called for the streamlining of
clearance procedure of goods at the ports in order to stop
corruption and to step up revenue generation.
At a press conference in Tema on Wednesday the GIFF
expressed concern about unnecessary delays, complications,
cost of importing and processing goods through the ports.
Mr Stanley R. K. Ahorlu, Executive Secretary of the GIFF,
appealed to the government to allow the Customs Excise and
Preventive Service (CEPS) take over its core functions of
classification and valuation of imported goods.
He described as duplication of functions for the Destination
Inspection Companies (DIC) to be in charge of classification
and valuation of goods, while CEPS officials offer
assistance in its administration.
He explained that CEPS, which was previously in charge of
the valuation of goods was stopped, with the reason that it
lacked the capacity to carry out the job, but its officials
were seconded to the DIC to offer assistance.
According to Mr Ahorlu, in the maritime industry all over
the world, CEPS normally had responsibility over such
function, and it was for this reason that a new office
facility was built for the CEPS in Tema.
It therefore came as a surprise to the GIFF that the eight
year contract of the DIC that ended in 2008 was hurriedly
renewed in the last days of the previous government, “even
without appraisal of their performance, consultation with
CEPS, ship-owners, freight forwarders and other related
agencies”, Mr Ahorlu said.
Mr Ahorlu, who is also GIFF’s legal advisor, indicated that
the DIC’s operation from Accra, compounds the problems of
maritime related agencies as they have to travel all the way
to transact business and this adds to the cost.
“Inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the classification and
valuation of goods by the DICs have created the opportunity
for the solicitation of lower values with the effect that
Final Classification and Valuation Reports (FCVR) were less
relied upon by CEPS as it worsens the effect of duplication
of functions in terms of cost and delays”.
The Executive Secretary expressed worry that the sector was
dominated by foreign ship owners and their agents “who are
left to operate unregulated” to the disadvantage of the
local participation.
“It is the firm belief of GIFF that port services such as
stevedoring, freight forwarding and ship agency should be
reserved exclusively to indigenous Ghanaian individuals,” Mr
Ahorlu declared.
GNA
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