Customs Officials, Shippers, Private Sector Trader, Business Associations and the Media
have been schooled on the Common External Tariff (CET) at Aflao in the Volta region.
This forms part of efforts towards implementing a Common External Tariff (CET) in order to achieve regional integration in the West Africasub-region.
The two-day workshop was held under the auspices of the Borderless
Alliance, in collaboration with the Ghana Shippers Authority and with support
from GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit).
The CET is aimed at ensuring transparent customs procedures,
reducing border delays and facilitating intra-regional trade.
The decision to have a Common External Tariff was taken at an
extraordinary meeting of Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held in Dakar, Senegal, on 25th October
2013.
However, implementation of the CET started from 1st January
2015 in some countries in the sub-region, and in Ghana on 1st February
2016. One of the initiatives of Borderless Alliance is the operation of a
Border Information Centre (BIC) network.
Borderless Alliance is, therefore, collaborating with the ECOWAS
Commission and GIZ to sensitize and to raise awareness of private sector actors
and law-enforcing agents at the borders on the CET.
The main objective of this workshop is to contribute to the
effective and efficient implementation of the ECOWAS CET.
Specifically, the workshop aims at: strengthening the capacity of
customs officials at the border in understanding the CET; raising awareness
among the private sector and cross-border traders for a better understanding of
the provisions of the CET; and educating the media and, through them, the
general public on the benefits of the CET and the Customs Union.
The Borderless Alliance, a regional advocacy organization
established in 2011, works to promote and facilitate cross-border trade and
reduce procedural inefficiencies.
Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority, Sylvia Asana Dauda Owu said the Common External Tariff has come at an opportune time
because it will lead to the reduction of transaction time and cost.
“The implementation of the common external tariff is also expected
to provide a better common trade policy regime. This would include applying
Special Protection Measures aimed at addressing any trade imbalances across
Member States thereby providing a real boost to the manufacturing sector and
trading in general” she added.
The Shippers Authority CEO called on the Customs Division of the
Ghana Revenue Authority to be transparent and give the necessary assurances’
that, “in the long run, our regional and international trade would
be better off with the implementation of the Common External Tariff”.
Ms. Sylvia Owu commended the Borderless Alliance for collaborating
with the Ghana Shippers’ Authority to train to shippers and uniform personnel
on the nuances of the Common External Tariff provisions.
Borderless Alliance has a membership of 83 private sector
companies working hand in hand with public institutions, civil societies and
the media in West Africa to increase trade.
The Alliance shares in and promotes ECOWAS vision of ‘free movement
of goods and persons’ in the West Africa sub region.
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