The Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Isaac Crentsil, has ordered that all intermediary transactions between Customs officers and goro boys at border points should cease with immediate effect.
The agents or goro boys at the Ghana-Burkina Faso borders hitherto charged an amount of 10,000 CFA for posing as middle men between Custom officers and transit truck drivers or traders only to collect their documents and send to customs for inspection and subsequent stamping.
Isaac Crentsil gave the order when he paid an unannounced visit to the Paga-Dakola border with support from the Director General of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Paul Asare Ansah, the Director of Tema Port, Edward Osei, General Manager, Corporate Affairs and Marketing of GPHA, Esther Gyebi Donkor and GPHA’s Representative to Burkina Faso, David Songotu to assess activities at the border and confirm some of the unwarranted practices there.
He expressed believe that “the services offered by the agents or goro boys are needless since, the drivers could easily deal with officers without any difficulties.”
With this intervention from the Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, no trader or truck driver will pay this 10,000 CFA which had been there since time immemorial.
Director General of GPHA, Paul Asare Ansah who has always advocated for the abolishment of the illegal payment said he is optimistic removing such bottlenecks on the transit corridors will grow the transit business between Ghana and its landlocked neighbours.
He however allayed fears that the stoppage of the goro boys menace at the borders will lead to lose of jobs.
He said: “the development will rather increase the transit trade and create other avenues of employment for the youth.”
The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Shippers Authority, Benonita Bismarck expressed optimism that the move by the Commissioner of Customs “will go a long way to make Ghana’s corridors attractive to the transit trade.”
Management of the Port Authority like other trade facilitating organizations like the USAID and Borderless Alliance, applauded Customs for taking such a bold step.
By Patrick Paintsil l thebftonline.com l Ghana
