Increase our commission - Auctioneers appeal

The Ghana Auctioneers Association (GAA), has appealed to the association's board at the Ministry of the Interior and the Auctioneers Registration Board to  petition Parliament to increase the seven per cent commission paid to auctioneers on their earnings to 15 per cent.

That, the  association said would make it possible for its members to meet the huge task and other related commitments.

The immediate past acting chairman of the association, Alhaji Muniru Ben Kassim, made the appeal at the delegates conference of the association in Accra last Thursday during which Mr Francis Nii Boye Tagoe, was elected chairman to run the affairs of the association for the next four years.

Messrs Nana Waife Akenten, Henry Maama Nelson, Roger Roland Glover and Nii Ayitey Gomez were elected unopposed for the positions of Vice Chairman, General Secretary, Deputy General Secretary and Organiser respectively, while Mrs Augustina Nyarku Quarmson also went unopposed for the position of Treasurer.

Economic conditions

Alhaji Kassim said the current seven per cent commission was woefully inadequate considering the economic condition in the country.

According to him, it was now time “to consider the review of the scanty commission which was approved in 1989.”

With regard to examining the auctioneers, he indicated that candidates did not have an idea of the practical auction questions particularly the recent examination because most auctioneers had not undergone any apprenticeship before the examination, hence the difficulty.

In that respect, Alhaji Kassim proposed an amendment of the PNDC Law 230 concerning apprenticeship after examination so that the candidates would have a practical knowledge of the questions.

Review auctioneers examination

According to the immediate past acting chairman, another issue pertaining to the exams was that most of the questions set were on surveying which had nothing to do with the auctioneering profession, as such the board should immediately review the content of the examination for future candidates, adding that “such a situation would improve the auction profession.”

The newly elected chairman of the association, Mr Francis Nii Tagoe, assured members that he would fight for the increase of the commission paid on the earnings from seven per cent to 15 per cent.

 New procurement law

He expressed the delight that the new procurement law had given the Ministry of Finance the power to authorise the acquisition and disposal of vehicles and other state properties through the new Public Financial Management Regulations (L.I. 2378 )

Mr Tagoe said he would ensure that the Ministry would follow the dictates of the new regulations religiously.