‘Don’t Blame Customs’

MAJOR-GENERAL Carl Modey, Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), has said his outfit is not responsible for the undue delay in the clearance of goods at the country’s ports.

“We really like the public to understand that we are not making it difficult for anybody,” he emphasised in an interview with BUSINESS GUIDE in Accra.

For years, importers have impugned the image of the Customs Division, which was previously known as Customs Excise & Preventive Service (CEPS) and blamed officials for delaying the clearance of goods at the ports.

Importers claimed their goods at the port attract high demurrage – a charge applied for storage of laden containers. Demurrage is also applied after a designated free time.

Importers at the country’s ports have complained of rigid clearing procedures which do not help them in any way.

However, Major-General Modey explained that other agencies such as the Ghana Ports & Habours Authority (GPHA), Narcotic Control Board, among others, also played a role in the clearance of goods at the port.

“They should not blame Customs, we only play a small part at the port but they end up putting all the blame on us if they are not able to clear their goods for them.”

He therefore advised importers to ensure that all documents covering their goods were genuine.

“We have always advised them to have the appropriate invoices and it is the recalcitrant ones who suffer.”

The Commissioner of the Customs Division hinted that measures were being put in place to ensure that importers cleared their goods within two days for non-golden card holders.

Customs Division of the GRA, he said, was trying to conduct all transactions electronically, adding: “We are trying to go paperless to ensure that the interface between our officers and the public is reduced to zero.”

According to George Blankson, Commissioner of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), his outfit had introduced a golden card holder system for importers that would allow them to clear their goods in a day.

He said it formed part of measures to block leakages in the goods clearance system at the country’s ports.

According to him, GRA intended to collect as much revenue for the state and therefore was keen to firmly block all chances by bad nuts in the service to perpetrate any evil motives.

He added that GRA had put measures in place to ensure that it did not compromise on the services it offered to taxpayers.

By Emelia Ennin Abbey