Ofosu Appiah
The Joint Committee of Freight Forwarders Association (JCFFA) has tasked the Deputy Finance Minister, Kwaku Kwarteng, to intervene in current happenings in the freight forwarding industry.
The association claims some persons are skewing facts to achieve their selfish interests.
A release signed by the President of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders Association of Customs House Agents Association, Kwabena Ofosu Appiah, pointed out that JCFFA would continue to present its case with facts such as the Cargo Tracking Note (CTN).
In a recently held press conference, they proposed to implement the recently announced novelties by uploading on its platform documents such as invoice, packing list, shipping instruction, and customs declaration of exporting country, among others.
The release stated: “In the wake of the Trade Facilitation Agreement which Ghana ratified in 2017, and which has, among others, Article 10.2.3 that totally outlaws the mandatory requirement of a member country’s Export Declaration as a basis for the importing country’s import processes, how is CTN/GRA justifying the mandatory requirement of this document as part of the CTN processes.?”
After meeting with the deputy finance minister, the association posed the following questions:
- How is CTN/GRA justifying the mandatory requirement of this document as part of the CTN processes in the wake of the Trade Facilitation Agreement which Ghana ratified in 2017 and which has, among others, Article 10.2.3 that totally outlaws the mandatory requirement of a member country’s Export Declaration as a basis for the importing country’s import processes?
- Used vehicle importation is the number one import item on our import bill as a nation. What will be the justification for subjecting used vehicle importation to CTN when section 60 of Customs ACT, 2015 (ACT 891) clearly defines and states in clear terms how such vehicles must be valued?
- What is the essence of the CTN when evidence on the ground today indicates that customs is not accepting the CTN values and are substituting them with other valuation methods?
“On the basis of these facts and questions, it is clear the discussion that went into the decision of CTN implementation was not thorough as evidenced by the lack of response at this meeting for which the deputy minister asked for a bit of time to decide on the way forward.
“We think four days is enough time for a response from the deputy minister. Therefore, our initial position of withdrawing our services for three days starting Monday, August 27, still stands, pending the intervention of the ministry of finance,” according to the release.
By Kofi Aduonum