Customs, GPHA in power struggle over port operations
THE Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Colonel (retired) Kwadwo Damoah, has disclosed that there is an apparent power struggle between his division and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) that is affecting smooth ports operations.
He has, therefore, advocated a review of regulations governing their mandates to clearly define their roles, operations, powers and limits to prevent conflict situations between the two agencies and create an efficient goods clearing process at the ports.
“Most of the problems and the cumbersome clearing processes within our ports are the direct result of the various acts of the respective port service providers or authorities which are fraught with non-cooperation among the authorities , apparent power struggles, lack of commitment to service and abuse of public office,” he said.
Colonel (rtd) Damoah made these known in a speech read on his behalf by Assistant Commissioner of Customs, Bob Senyalah, at a multi-stakeholder business integrity forum organised by the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), in Accra, yesterday.
The forum on the theme: ‘Promoting an effective and efficient business environment within our ports: A case of cumbersome clearing process’, was to afford stakeholders in the port industry a platform to deliberate about challenges therein and proffer solutions.
Citing an instance of the power struggle, Colonel (rtd) Damoah said the Customs’ ability to examine goods or move them to state warehouse was determined by the readiness of GPHA staff, a situation which often created misunderstanding between the two agencies.
He said the Port Health Services was part of the problem, as they claim they do not take orders from customs, and therefore decide to work at their own time despite the urgency.
He said various stakeholders had taken advantage of the lapses in the process and opportunities for corruption to abuse the clearing processes and duty payments.
Other problems in the ports, Colonel (rtd) Damoah said, included congestion, insecurity of goods due to theft and loss of containers, delays in clearance, poor port infrastructure, ineffective transportation system and inadequate transport services.
That notwithstanding, he said his outfit had over the years, taken the necessary steps to improve service delivery and assured all importers and other stakeholders that it would continue to strive for reforms that would make the process less cumbersome.
He expressed the hope that the new Meridian Ports Services would be a game changer.
Mr Garvin Amavie, Corporate Monitoring Manager of GPHA , admitted that there were occasional friction between the two agencies and agreed that the issues needed to be resolved to help improve service delivery and boost revenue mobilisation.
Executive Director of GII, Linda Ofori-Kwafo, said it was crucial for action to be taken in respect to various administrative impasses in the sector, such as human and technical inefficiencies else the laudable interventions introduced by the government in recent years, would be ineffective.
BY JONATHAN DONKOR AND DEBORAH ASUMA
