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The Japanese Customs Corporation Fund has sponsored the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in its bid to take over the classification work from private destination inspection companies.

The support was extended to the GRA through the World Customs Organisation (WCO). The package is to enable the Authority to set up a Harmonised System (HS) unit to handle destination inspection which was previously handled by private companies.

Taking ownership of the tariff classification is part of the GRA Customs strategic plan for 2015-2018 and is scheduled for implementation, beginning September 2015.
In line with the move, a four-day workshop had been organised for some key personnel of the Customs Division of the GRA in Accra.

Customs boss’s view
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, the Commissioner of the Customs Division of GRA, Mr Wallace Akondor, said effective performance of the destination inspection role required the setting up of a stable organisational structure, the use of modern classification tools and the deployment of professional managers and officers to manage the HS.

That, he said, was essential for the GRA to take up the challenge to run the tariff classification system, which had previously been outsourced by the government to an inspection company, in order to ensure proper revenue collection.

Mr Akondor thanked the Japan Customs for its financial support and the representatives of the WCO Secretariat for supporting the GRA in what he described as ‘this difficult task.’

The team of instructors from the WCO, led by Mr Bernard Zenden, emphasised the importance of establishing a well-organised classification infrastructure and introducing well-defined and effective classification practices in order to facilitate international trade.

That, they explained, would include the setting up of an HS unit and an advanced ruling system that would enable the Custom’s Division of the GRA to achieve its expected goal in a steady and sustainable manner.