International Customs Day observed in Accra
The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has joined its counterparts around the globe to mark this year’s International Customs Day.
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The theme for the celebration was, "Co-ordinated Border Management (CBM)", with the slogan, "An inclusive approach for connecting stakeholders".
At a programme to commemorate the day in Accra, the Commissioner General of the GRA, Mr George Blankson, said customs played a pivotal role in economic development through efficient targeted controls and the facilitation of legitimate trade.
He said the Customs Division was moving on the path of modernisation and intended employing sophisticated equipment to make customs and border clearance easier and faster.
Interior Minister
In a remark, the Minister of the Interior, Mr Mark Woyongo, said the most important ingredient in border management was for border agencies to work in a coordinated manner through the sharing of information and avoiding duplication of processes and procedures.
He urged customs officials at the various borders to co-operate with other agencies such as the Ghana Immigration Service and the police to effectively manage the points of entry.
That way, he said, the fight against the smuggling of cocoa and timber, piracy, money laundering terrorism and other cross-border crimes could be won.
With the advent of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and globalisation, Mr Woyongo said, crime was assuming an international character, compelling states to look beyond their borders.
“We need co-ordination and integration of functions to avoid transnational crimes,” he said.
He commended the Customs and Immigration Services for putting together a joint technical committee to identify areas of coordination and cooperation for effective border management.
Benefits of Coordination
Highlighting the importance of the CBM in a speech read on his behalf, the Minister of Finance, Mr Seth Terkper, explained that it entailed joint planning and execution of operations, sharing of experiences and resources.
“We should aim at planning with a single framework that will provide practical opportunity for overcoming challenges,” he urged.
A Deputy Minister of Trade, Mr Ibrahim Murtala, said the economy depended on the generation of revenue.
He, therefore, expressed worry over the porous entry points used for illegal activities and urged the Customs Division and the Immigration Service to work together to thwart those activities at the entry points.
World Custom’s Organisation
The message of the Secretary General of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), Kunio Mikuriya, read by the acting Commissioner of the Customs Division of the GRA, Mr Wallace Akondor, urged border agencies to work together, in spite of varying regulatory mandates.
Writer’s email: emelia.ennin@graphic.com.gh