{"id":460778,"date":"2018-02-02T12:21:22","date_gmt":"2018-02-02T12:21:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ghana-mma.com\/2018\/02\/02\/customs-urged-to-promote-international-trade\/"},"modified":"2018-02-02T12:21:22","modified_gmt":"2018-02-02T12:21:22","slug":"customs-urged-to-promote-international-trade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2018\/02\/02\/customs-urged-to-promote-international-trade\/","title":{"rendered":"Customs urged to promote international trade"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"medsection1\">\n<!-- End of html generated by this->header() --><\/p>\n<p class=\"floatLeft\">Business News of Friday,  2 February 2018<\/p>\n<p class=\"floatRight\"><strong>Source: <\/strong>thebftonline.com<\/p>\n<p>2018-02-02<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-left\">\n<p class=\"article-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/17768819.295.jpg\" alt=\"Deputy Finance Minister Kweku Kwarteng Kk\" title=\"Deputy Finance Minister Kweku Kwarteng Kk\" width=\"295\" height=\"167\" \/><span class=\"play-icon\">play video<\/span><span class=\"image_caption\"><span>Deputy Finance Minister, Kwaku Kwarteng<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"noPrint\">\n<div id=\"537626303\" style=\"width:300;height:250;margin:0;padding:0\">\n<p>\t\t  <noscript><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"b2ad7fa7fd\" name=\"b2ad7fa7fd\" src=\"http:\/\/ghanaweb-d.openx.net\/w\/1.0\/afr?auid=537626303&amp;cb=151125817929577\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\"><a href=\"\/\/ghanaweb-d.openx.net\/w\/1.0\/rc?cs=b2ad7fa7fd&amp;cb=151125817929577\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/1517574082_36_ai\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><\/iframe><\/noscript><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"clear:right\">The Customs Service Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has been urged to remove all barriers to trade and promote a conducive environment to attract international trade.<\/p>\n<p>Deputy Finance Minister Kwaku Kwarteng, speaking on the theme \u2018A Secure Business Environment for Economic Development\u2019 at the World Custom Day in Accra said: \u201cThe processes and procedures for the importation, exportation and clearance of goods must be convenient, timely and certain\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Kwarteng explained that the longer goods stay at the ports during clearance processes, the more insecure they become.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Custom Division must work toward enhancing successful movement of goods and services at the ports to help increase in the volume of international trade, which will help boost international investments and standards.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He said businesses that are in connection with Customs activities means international trade, adding that making the country\u2019s borders safe and secure will attract more international trade-players in the sub-region. Furthermore, Customs has a great stake in the country\u2019s development as it is one of the key revenue mobilisation institutions.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Kwarteng also cautioned Customs officials to apply technology and international standards to increase the volumes of international trade across the country\u2019s borders and entry points.<\/p>\n<p>He however entreated Customs officials to eschew all forms of corrupt acts at contacts points, and rather focus on their core mandate.<\/p>\n<p>In a speech read on behalf of the Secretary-General of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), Kunio Mikuriya, the Commissioner-General of Customs Division, Mr. Isaac Crentsil, explained: \u201cCombating cross-border crime \u2013 including the illicit funding of international terrorism through trade activities \u2013 is our responsibility, and one that Customs takes seriously in its efforts to ensure a safe environment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He said this year\u2019s theme also echoes the current Customs focus on trade facilitation, created by entry into force of the World Trade Organisation\u2019s Trade Facilitation Agreement \u2013 as well as adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the Heads of State and Government and High Representatives meeting at the United Nations\u2019 Headquarters in New York in September 2015 to decide on new global \u201csustainable development goals\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>He indicated that the theme also supports efforts aimed at unleashing the potential of women in business, or female entrepreneurs, as a means to enhance enterprise development, create more employment, and alleviate poverty.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"350\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sUOmhU9eP9Q\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe> <\/p>\n<p>Mr. Crentsil said the WCO will continue \u201cto enhance the promotion of relevant tools, instruments and initiatives as well as the work being done in areas as diverse as combatting cross-border crime, engagement with stakeholders, data collection and analysis, digitisation of Customs services, effective management of cross-border e-Commerce transactions, standardisation of information exchange, strengthening Customs-Tax cooperation, tackling trade mis-invoicing and fighting corruption, to name a few\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>He said providing a secure environment for business will create incentives for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to expand their activities to participate more fully in international trade, as well as encourage them to innovate, generate employment and invest in human resources, thereby boosting economic growth and raising living standards.<\/p>\n<p>The Director in Charge of the Tema Port, Mr. Edward Kofi Osei \u2013 who was making a presentation on the activities of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) and its impacts on Customs operations \u2013 said the collaboration between Customs and GPHA is to make the country a leading hub and beacon of trade and industry in the sub-region through an efficient border.<\/p>\n<p>He said the Port\u2019s contribution of about 60 percent of the country\u2019s total revenue generation, has been made possible as a result of its good policies and measures which are attracting both importers and exporters, including countries from the sub-region.<\/p>\n<p>He said factors such as improved and efficient clearing of goods by both importers and exporters have made the port attractive to them \u2013 adding that countries such as Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso pass their goods through the port due to the security provided for their cargoes.<\/p>\n<p><!-- uploaded by: 3 updated by: -1 --><\/p>\n<p><!-- Start of html generated by this->footer() -->\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a style=\"display:none\" rel=\"follow\" href=\"http:\/\/megatheme.ir\/\" title=\"\u0642\u0627\u0644\u0628 \u0648\u0631\u062f\u067e\u0631\u0633\">\u0642\u0627\u0644\u0628 \u0648\u0631\u062f\u067e\u0631\u0633<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Business News of Friday, 2 February 2018 Source: thebftonline.com 2018-02-02 play videoDeputy Finance Minister, Kwaku Kwarteng The Customs Service Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has been urged to remove all barriers to trade and promote a conducive environment to attract international trade. Deputy Finance Minister Kwaku Kwarteng, speaking on the theme \u2018A Secure [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":460779,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-460778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-local-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/460778","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=460778"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/460778\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=460778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=460778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=460778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}