The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has reached a decision to maintain the existing fees for the registration of importers.
Recognizing the imploration from industry players such as importers and exporters, traders and other members of the business community, the Director-General of the Authority, Prof. Alex Dodoo, announced that the Authority would retain the current fees and charges until the time was appropriate.
Speaking at a consensus-building meeting organised by the National Standards Body and the Ghana Shippers’ Authority for industry players, Prof. Dodoo reemphasized the Authority’s position to support government in improving services to the business fraternity.
During the meeting, stakeholders citing the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on businesses and the coming into operation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), appealed to the GSA to halt the implementation of the new fees until, at least, the first quarter of the year to allow industry players to recover from losses incurred as a result of the pandemic last year.
“GSA in maintaining the old fees promised to inform the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Trade of the practical challenges in implementing the approved fees at this time and to seek guidance for a revised timescale for implementation.
“So basically, nothing has changed in terms of GSA’s charges at the port… so, the only communication is that the situation is as it is. The status quo remains; I hope that makes it very clear and very simple. It is not like we have increased and we are reducing; we have not,” he noted.
Mr. Dodoo further called on stakeholders to support the Authority’s ‘year of enforcement’ drive in a bid to ensuring the protection of consumers and promotion of trade at the same time.
Additionally, he disclosed that the Authority planned to introduce import certification for some category of products such as lubricants and gas cylinders as well as online payment.
The meeting was held to ensure that the shipping and trading communities were fully informed and educated on the implications of the new fees and also to discuss other matters relating to operations at the ports including ways to facilitate trade and prevent delays.
On her part, the Chief Executive Officer of the Shippers’ Authority, Benonita Bismarck, thanked Prof. Dodoo and his team for availing themselves to the Shippers’ Authority and all stakeholders to discuss the issues.
“I am glad that we have been able to talk such that the status quo has remained,” she stated, thanking the GSA and its DG for understanding the plight of the shipping public”.
The Parliament of Ghana, in August 2019, approved the new fees and charges for GSA which were to take effect on January 1, 2020.
The Ghana Standards Authority postponed the implementation of the revised fees and charges for a year for several reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to ensure that the general public, as well as importers, were brought on board.
Prof. Alex Dodoo, had earlier debunked claims purported by the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders, that import duties have been increased.
