Thursday 18th October, 2018
This, the chamber, said would allay the fears
and concerns of the economic agents and provide a lasting mutual agreement
between the policy maker and the practitioner to forestal
Accra, Oct. 18, GNA – The Ghana National
Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called on government to further engage
relevant stakeholders to address the challenges identified with the Cargo
Tracking Note (CTN) module.
This, the chamber, said would allay the fears
and concerns of the economic agents and provide a lasting mutual agreement
between the policy maker and the practitioner to forestall any disruption in
the import sector with cost implication for business and government.
Nana Apiagyei Dankawoso I, the President of
the Chamber, said the implementation of the CTN, which among other things, was
to collate reliable trade database to benchmark and protect government revenue
in import duties and taxes was faced with stiff opposition.
He said the policy was halted on two occasions
following lack of mutual understanding among the parties Involved and created
agitation particularity among importers and traders, who played a critical role
In the Ghanaian economy.
“Per the research conducted by the Chamber at
the ports, the cost of doing business is high and any additional cost will
undermine our competitiveness. Certainly, additional costs will be passed on to
consumers which increase the cost of living,” he said.
Nana Dankawoso I said efforts have been made
to persuade Burkina Faso and other surrounding countries to direct traffic
through Ghana and as a country, it was important to consolidate these gains.
He, however, appreciated the efforts
undertaken by the Ghana Revenue Authority to modernise its operations to
enhance trade facilitation in line with best international practice, saying the
Chamber also recognised the need for government to improve its revenue
generation to support the industrial and economic transformation agenda of the
country.
GNA