Customs Division takes action on corruption perception
The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is undertaking a retrospection of its processes and procedures following a survey on perceived corruption by its personnel.
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The findings of the baseline survey into corruption in the division which was sponsored by stakeholders are being discussed at a two-day validation workshop in Ada.
Participants, including selected officials of the Customs Division and key stakeholders, such as freight forwarders, traders and the media, will consider how to strengthen public confidence in the division.
The report
According to the report, the Customs Division, which is responsible for the collection of import duties, import Value Added Tax, export duty, petroleum tax, import excises and other taxes, had frequently been identified by the business community and the public as one of the least trusted government agencies.
While 93.6 per cent of haulers interviewed by the researchers claimed they had experienced corruption in their dealings with customs officials, 60 per cent and 47 per cent of traders and freight forwarders, respectively reported same.
On the part of Customs officers, 24.5 per cent of those interviewed said they had witnessed incidents of corruption in the last one year.
The perception of the public that customs officials were corrupt confirmed a 2011 voice of the people survey conducted by the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII).
The survey revealed that the Customs Division was the second most corrupt institution, after the Ghana Police Service.
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Effect
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, the Head of Governance at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ms Nana Teiba Chinbuah, said corruption led to a higher cost for business and lower national wealth.
A research conducted by Dreher et all in 2004 indicated that Ghana lost an estimated customs revenue of $3.9 million due to corruption.
She said she was hopeful that the recommendations of the survey would be speedily implemented to improve integrity of the service to position it to fulfill its mandate effectively and efficiently.
Measures
The Commissioner of the Customs Division, Mr John Kuudamnuru Vianney, said there were plans to roll out an integrity change management process by which the recommendations and resolutions of the survey and the workshop would be implemented.
The integrity report, he said, would be launched in Accra and other customs sectors, while an integrity manual and curriculum was also being developed to guide trainers at the GRA Academy.
There would also be a countrywide re-orientation of Customs officers to infuse in them the tenets of professionalism, higher ethics and renewal of the sense of discipline.
Other agencies
In a remark, the President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Mr George Ofori, noted that the fight against corruption would be won if integrity issues in the institutions at the ports of entry were addressed.
He was of the view that the proliferation of agencies and institutions at the ports should be reduced.
The General Manager of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Mr Abraham Mensah, admitted that the proliferation of agencies at the ports was a contributory factor to corruption.
He said efforts were being made to reduce the number of agencies and task forces at the ports.
Writer's email: emelia.ennin@graphic.com.gh