Clearing agents protest against paperless policy implementation

Europa

August 18, 2017 5:33 PM

The clearing agents argue that the paperless process which began today, Friday, August 18 was poorly done.

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Some Freight Forwarders at the Tema Port Friday morning demonstrated against the implementation of the paperless process at the country’s port.

The group made up of members of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), the Chamber of Freight and Trade and Concerned Freight Forwarders Association argue that the paperless process which began today, Friday, August 18 was poorly done.

"How do you pilot a project when agents who are the main users have no idea of how the processes are going to work”, Mr Oheneba Kwasi Afawuah, Chairman for Concerned Freight Forwarders asked.

“We demand that government withdraws the implementation plan, put in place the necessary sensitisation and ensure the end users are abreast of the project before they take off”, he added.

The country’s ports in previous years have been seen as one of the places where corruption is rife.

Importers have their goods locked up at the port sometimes for months due to the delays by authorities in charge of clearing their products.

To get your items cleared quickly one needs to bribe some officials at the ports.

Vice President Dr Mahamadu Bawumia believes such corrupt and bureaucratic practices will end after paperless transaction processes begin.

The group further accused the Deputy Minister of Finance, Kwaku Kwarteng of pushing for the introduction of a tax stamp policy which they believe would increase the cost of doing business for importers.

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