Policy think tank, IMANI Africa has asked the government of Ghana to thread cautiously on a supposed contract on Fumigation Levy on Imports and Exports.
The details of the contract which is scheduled to take effect on March 1, in addition to Tax Stamps and ECOWAS CET levy is “very troubling” according to the President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe.
Mr. Cudjoe further suggested a probe into the contract which was ostensibly abandoned under the previous NDC administration.
“There is nothing essentially wrong with disinfecting cargo as disease agents can be transported to hitherto safer environments. However, it is important to ask the critical question of how unique this service is that it merited a sole-sourced procurement process which imposes very unfair terms on government’s agencies and by extension on importers. The fees seem to have been solely determined by the service provider. Article 4.9 of the agreement states ‘’ The Ghana Shipper Authority shall ensure that the SERVICE PROVIDER is placed on the existing mandatory electronic platform for the collection of fees and charges that have been determined by the SERVICE PROVIDER to ensure that all imports and exports subject to the GRA Customs regime pay the fees stipulated in this Agreement,’’ Franklin Cudjoe said in a statement Friday.
The statement further added:” There is more, but suffice to say that when this project was contemplated under the previous government, the Attorney-General then, Mrs., Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong cautioned the then Ministry of Health in her legal opinion about the excesses related to parliamentary approvals, fees and charges , responsibility for externalities such as disease outbreaks and crucially the duration of the contract. Mrs. Brew Appiah-Opong offered economically sound advice on how to proceed with the agreement to ensure Ghana’s public private partnership and local content mantra was given a befitting facelift with this project. I agree with her legal opinion. I am not sure her opinion was factored into the June 23, 2017 agreement under the new government. I am not sure the current Attorney-General, Ms. Gloria Akuffo has seen this agreement. If she hasn’t she should.”The fumigation of cargo is to be undertaken by a Turkish company- The Turkish company is the service provider with the Shippers Authority as client and the Ghana Health Service as health regulator.
Stakeholders in the import business, especially freight forwarders have been served notices of a March 1, 2018 deadline to register online for implementation of the policy.
Importers and Exporters will be levied between $ 5 -10 per each vehicle imported and disinfected. It is envisaged that all containers for imports and exports will be subjected to similar unspecified fees and could be higher. These charges do not include VAT or any other tariffs government may impose.
