THE CAPITALS OF GHANAIAN BUSINESSES ARE IN GREAT RISK AT THE TEMA AND TAKORADI PORTS BECAUSE OF THE COMMISSIONER GENERAL AND COMMISSIONER CUSTOMS IN SO-CALLED TASK FORCE TO CRACK DOWN ON IMPORTERS AND TRADERS.

TAGG PRESS STATEMENT, SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2023

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the press. We welcome you to today’s press conference.

Traders Advocacy Group Ghana (TAGG), one of Ghana's biggest trade organizations, represents thousands of traders who are spread across the 16 regions of Ghana. Ladies and gentlemen of the press, as stated in the TAGG constitution and other expressions of its aims, Traders Advocacy Group Ghana (TAGG) is expected to support any political party that shares its interests when it comes to matters relevant to trading in the country.

It is beyond belief to evaluate the current leadership of the GRA Commissioner General, the Commissioner Customs Division, and the Domestic Tax Commissioner given the numerous policy interventions during their term of office, both good and bad, and the bad impact on traders is more extreme within the final four years of this government. In the case of the Ghanaian trading community.

Traders Advocacy Group Ghana (TAGG) and its members have always been law-abiding citizens of Ghana, living in peace and providing services to their fellow citizens. Why is the GRA office now deploring various forms of intimidation and threat-making in the name of raising tax and duty revenue for the government while simultaneously imposing and depriving traders of their capital to satisfy its demands, given that traders haven't violently resisted authorities?

Fellow Ghanaians, in as much as we appreciate the efforts of this government, the GRA Customs and Domestic division under the Ministry of Finance has established several task forces under the directives of the Commissioner General in the name of enforcement. We believe that these initiatives will not achieve their intended goals but instead encourage the extortion of money from traders to enrich themselves in the name of alleged port intrusion of duties and tax invasion, which is untrue but is designed to intimidate those who are currently struggling to stay in business.

The GRA had the foresight to introduce paperless processes for fastrack duty payments at our ports. When did the business community anticipate that, following port approval and clearance, a task force designed to target traders and importers would emerge? The customs commissioner will demonstrate to the executives that he is working hard to collect duties, even if it means taking advantage of businesspeople with political allegiances.

Realizing the benefits of the paperless policy for Ghana's economy and for traders and importers specifically, we accepted the GRA's offer to take part in a stakeholder discussion over the implementation of the paperless clearing system at the ports of Tema and Takoradi, in which we explained to our traders that in order to protect Ghana's economic development, traders should embrace the processes that will remove human interface when transacting business at our various ports.

However, our traders have been harassed and made to pay money to Customs and the DTRD task force, which uses the ignorance of traders and importers to extort money from them after clearing their containers from the port. We would like to warn this government to stop trying to kill businesses in an effort to jumpstart the economy because it appears that Ghana is falling behind its neighbors and is having trouble filling our ports with cargo, while our neighbors have obviously been experiencing an overflow of cargo as a result of the flexible import duties of global trade at their ports.

After implementing a hybrid policy like the paperless system, shouldn’t it be sufficient proof that the GRA customs division can enforce and collect duties for the government if it works diligently and upholds its reputation for excellence? Due to pressure from the Ministry of Finance, whose demands have driven GRA to this point, As part of our patriotic and devoted duty to our traders and country, we must inform Ghanaians and the government of what is happening at the GRA customs and domestic division. The current administration doesn't appear to care about traders' suffering, so members and concerned traders requested the Traders Advocacy Group Ghana (TAGG) to intervene. Lack of governmental coordination puts our loved ones, clients, and all Ghanaians in danger, as well as their financial stability and security.

The COVID-19 impacts are in the process of easing on traders, and the GRA Commissioner General as well as the Customs Commissioner now appear to be experiencing growing frustrations amongst traders and importers in the current economic situation. All Ghanaians' lives are in danger of price hikes as a result of the Commissioner General's and Commissioner Customs negligence and ineptitude.

We urgently require Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's administration to set up a committee to convene a stakeholder engagement to discuss these issues right now. We are aware of the advantages a prosperous Ghanaian economy will offer to our cherished country. If we all work together in harmony, may God bless you and protect Ghana.

 Thank you.

Signed

KWADWO AMOATENG PRESIDENT OF (TAGG) 0244215457 TAGG VICE PRESIDENT

Mr. SAMUEL ASARE ADDO

 NANA POKU GENERAL SECRETARY (TAGG) 0202282182

JULIET KUSI DEPUTY SECRETARY (TAGG)

 MRS. IRENE VICTORIA ODOOM TREASURER (TAGG)

 ABRAHAM YAO FIANU PROTOCOL OFFICER (TAGG)

 DANIEL FOSU NATIONAL ORGANIZER OF (TAGG) NB: Please log on to www.tradersadvocacygroup.org