In what can be described as the shake-up of all shake-ups, the Acting Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority has made some sweeping changes by transferring ninety-seven (97) employees of the service in a bid to revamp the Division and make it more responsive and effective in line with existing regulations.
The massive transfer comes on the heels of the interdiction of eleven (11) officers of the Customs Division implicated in the recently release video of the investigative piece by Anas Aremeyaw Anas of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, which exposed widespread corruption and bribery at the Tema Port.
Media Statement: –
Customs Division Embarks on Relocation and Transfer of Staff
9th February, 2011
1. The Commissioner of Customs Division has undertaken a major transfer of Customs staff as part of measures instituted to revamp the Division and make it responsive and effective in line with existing regulations.
2. Regarding the transfers, the second such relocation of staff made in the last 8 weeks since the assumption of duty the new Commissioner, 97 officers are involved and cover nine sectors of the Division.
3. The breakdown is: Tema – 47; Head Office – 27; Jamestown – 17; Kotoka International Airport – 3; Elubo – 2; Aflao – 3, Ho – 1; Bolgatanga – 1 and Takoradi – 1.
4. The transfers have become imperative to re-vitalize the human resource capacity of the Division to make use of specialized skills, experience and qualities of personnel working across the country following reservations from stakeholders about the quality of service and alleged un-professional conduct by some Customs staff.
5. The movement of staff also recognizes the need to balance the human, financial and logistical resources available and thus ensures that staff movement does not impose financial constraints, or unduly distort family livelihood of affected staff.
6. Meanwhile the Commissioner has instituted a couple of measures including human capacity building to ensure that the Division fulfils its mandate of assessing, collecting, accounting and protecting all taxes due.
7. The Customs Division hereby assures all stakeholders of its commitment to delivering professional customer service, ensure discipline and integrity, and to fulfill the expectations of government, taxpayers, and the public.
8. Subsequently its offices are ready to receive any complaints relating to misconduct of its staff, and will soon make available Hotlines for the public to seek complaints resolution and information on policies and processes.
For: Commissioner:
ROBERT MENSAH
CHIEF COLLECTOR – CLIENT RELATIONS