The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr John Gyetuah, has called on stakeholders in the import trade to chart a new path for the destination inspection scheme.
He noted that the scheme had met some challenges that had to be addressed as government's strategy for export expansion, enhancement of domestic trade and accelerated industrialisation depended not only on the smooth passage of goods and services in and out of the ports but also on low transaction costs.
Delivering an address at a stakeholders' forum on destination inspection held at Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra on Monday, Mr Gyetuah identified some of the challenges as contract obligations and execution, connectivity, delays in the issuance of Final Classification and Valuation Reports (FCVRs) and rampant submission of fake documents by some importers/agents to the inspection companies and Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS).
"On average, 70 per cent of all invoices submitted to the inspection companies are fake, including even the supposedly reputable companies in the import trade," he said.
Mr Gyetuah said in view of these challenges, there had been calls, especially from the beginning of this year, from various stakeholders, particularly importers and the media, for government to do away with private inspectors and for CEPS to take over their core functions of classification and valuation.
"It is in the light of these challenges that stakeholders, who have roles to play in implementing the World Trade Organisation (WTO) valuation agreement as a whole and the destination inspection scheme in particular, have been brought together today to offer practical suggestions to chart a new path for the scheme," the Deputy Minister said.
Stakeholders who attended the meeting included CEPS, Private Enterprise Foundation, Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Association of Ghana Industries, Ghana Union of Traders Associations and freight forwarders.
Mr Gyetuah said trade facilitation had been at the centre of reforms in Ghana and in this regard, trade procedures and customs processes at the borders and ports had undergone major transformation and modernisation, especially through the introduction of ICT.
"The Destination Inspection Scheme has been introduced as part of the measures to put in place appropriate modalities to enhance efforts aimed at easing clearance through Ghana's ports."
The scheme, he noted, was introduced in April 2000 as part of the strategy to implement he WTO valuation agreement to ensure minimum loss of revenue and enhance the operating trade regime in Ghana with the view to positioning the country as the commercial and maritime hub of the West African sub-region.
Mr Gyetuah expressed the hope that stakeholders would advance candid and positive ways and manner that would contribute to addressing issues relevant to the future of the scheme for the benefit of the county.