Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Paul Asare Ansah, has charged personnel of the Ghana Immigration Service operating in the Ports of Ghana to contribute towards improving on the integrity of the Port business environment.
He said the Port Authority is inundated with complaints from shipping lines who say agencies allowed to go into vessels to undertake various processes and documentations extort food and other items from vessels in the name of protocol goods.
Paul Asare Ansah made this known when Comptroller General of the Ghana Immigration Service, Kwame Asuah Takyi visited the Port Authority to strengthen the cordial relationship that exists between the two organisations.
“The bad practices were disturbing. So we will appeal to you, as you are here to take some collaborative effort to minimize such incidences that go a long way to tarnish our image. Sometimes we feel compelled to put our security men on board to look out for some of these policy measures,” he lamented.
He charged state agencies who go on board vessels to eschew such unethical practices so as to create a friendly business environment for the Port.
“The Burkina border is of a very strategic importance to us and for that matter we constantly monitor what happens. You know the Malians normally pass through Bobo-Dioulasso through Hamile and the Nigeriens through Bawku so if we can facilitate their movement and not compromise security and safety, it will be best.”
“Truly as an officer you need to comport yourself because you represent Mother Ghana. An immigration officer is an international officer as we say because whatever you do affects your organisation or your country. So, we are going to talk to them,” the Comptroller General assured.
The Ghana Immigration Service pledged their commitment to collaborate with other agencies to curb such unethical practices in the Port operations.
