The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) is looking at reducing the time it spends at the ports inspecting imports by rather doing more inspections off-site or at the locations of where the cleared goods are headed.
Chief Executives Officer, Prof. Alex Dodoo believes the move will give the authority more time to scrutinize goods adding it is conferring with stakeholders including Ghana Union of Traders’ Associations (GUTA) and the Ghana Shippers Authority about the intended initiative.
He said the move can ensure seamless trade and transport aided by the rolling out of the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) which is a unique Identification number issued to taxpayers and potential taxpayers.
Procedure for the clearing of high risk goods include importers of HRGs registering with the Ghana Standards Authority, importers sending declaration to the Ghana Standards Authority through GCNet, and imported HRGs being accompanied with a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) or Certificate of Conformance (CoC), with reference to the applicable standard specifications issued by a competent laboratory preferably in the exporting country.
Failure to provide a CoA/CoC means the consignment could not be cleared until samples of product have been tested to the applicable standard and found to have satisfied the requirements.
Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority shall clear the consignment after satisfactory inspection and electronic release (or otherwise) by an Inspector of Ghana Standards Authority.
By Michael Eli Dokosi/goldstreetbusiness.com
