ACHAG laments numerous charges hampering business at ports

The Association of Customs House Agents Ghana (ACHAG) has lamented on what it says are the numerous charges hampering business operations at the country’s ports.

The Association maintained that the pressure on the ports to generate enough revenue to finance the national budget had led to increased taxes to achieve targets reflecting in numerous challenges faced in the clearance process of goods.

The Association, for instance, questioned the reason behind holding on to the outdated COVID-19 Health Recovery Levy and the Ministry of Health Disinfection Fee.

At the 3rd Annual General Meeting of the Association on Thursday, the outgoing President of ACHAG, Yaw Kyei, said that in 2021 and 2022, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) realised a little over Gh? 16 billion and a little over Gh? 22 billion respectively to the national budget.

The AGM, held under the theme ‘Doing business at the ports in the face of current economic challenges’, was used to assess performance, take stock, plan for the future as well as election of new executives of the Association.

Mr Kyei further stated that the Tema Collection though characterised by lower import volumes was short of attaining the Gh? 25.6 billion revenue target by Gh? 1.2 billion.

This, he said, explicitly tells the pressure on the ports to meet set targets thereby increasing taxes in some cases as a convenient move but incidentally compromising the cost of doing business at the ports.

Mr Kyei noted that apart from the Customs Division raking in much revenue for the state, the many government and quasi-government bodies all lined up at the ports in the name of providing services added up to the cost of doing business.

These high costs of doing business at the ports according to Mr Kyei could result in high inflation, smuggling, corruption, reduction in purchasing power (capital) of importers and exporters, under invoicing and diversion of imports through neighbouring countries among other malpractices.

Furthermore, he said another major source of concern was the shipping line charges, terminal charges and consolidation and clearing of goods as well high cost of transportation of the cleared goods from the ports; all crippling businesses at the ports of entry.

Deputy Minister of Transport, AlhassanTampuli, acknowledged the challenges highlighted by ACHAG and said a committee had been constituted under the Economic Management Team (EMT) tasked with the responsibility to make recommendations on how to reduce cost of doing business at the ports.

Mr Tampuli said the government was committed to improving the ports business environment for businesses to thrive therefore listening to the concerns of the maritime stakeholders and investing in technology and infrastructure in order to improve efficiency at the ports.

Deputy Marketing and Corporate Affairs Manager of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Nana Esi Soderberg, who spoke on behalf of the Director-General of GPHA, Michael Luguje, said the GPHA was working closely with stakeholders to find a common ground to facilitate business operations at the ports.

FROM KEN AFEDZI, TEMA

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