The Dean of the Honorary Consular Corps in Ghana and three other Honorary Consuls have paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey.
The visit took place in Accra on Tuesday, 27th April, 2021. The Honorary Consuls who visited the Minister were the Honorary Consul of Belgium, Dimitri Avraam; Antonio Jose de Matos Fernandes, Honorary Consul of Portugal; Thomas Okyere, Honorary Consul of Botswana; and Fredrik Morsing, Honorary Consul of Sweden.
Currently, there are forty Honorary Consuls in Ghana (operating from various parts of the country).
During the meeting, Madam Ayorkor Botchwey commended the Honorary Consular Corps for their hard work in promoting mostly business and economic relations between Ghana and the various countries they represent.
She expressed her admiration for their efforts in strengthening further the relations between their sending states, which do not have full Diplomatic Missions in Ghana and the country.
The Minister mentioned the efforts by the Ministry to ensure that all privileges due the Honorary Consular Corps as stated in the Vienna Convention on Consular relation 1963 are extended to them.
She made reference to a Stakeholder meeting in November, 2020 between officials of the Ministry, the Police, DVLA etc. to deliberate on appropriate vehicle registration number plates and other privileges for the Honorary Consular Corps after which a circular Note Verbale was sent to all Honorary Consuls conveying the outcomes and decisions for guidance and compliance.
She observed that Background with Black Letters number plate would be issued to Honorary Consular Corps and the members must submit a request for the re-registration through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration to the Drivers and Vehicle License Authority (DVLA)).
She drew attention to some tax exemption requests sometimes received from Honorary Consular Corps and indicated that only privileges and immunities stated in the Vienna Convention on Consular relations can be extended and added that Honorary Consuls do not benefit from tax exemptions.
The Minister assured the Honorary Consular Corps of the Ministry’s preparedness and commitment to extend to them all privileges and immunities due them as clearly stated in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations 1963 and also support them in their work in promoting strong economic ties between Ghana and their sending states.
By Melvin Tarlue