Accra, Jan. 25 GNA - The Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) would join other Customs administrations worldwide to celebrate the International Customs Day on January 26, 2007.

The theme for this year is: "No To Piracy and Counterfeiting." A statement issued in Accra and signed by Ms Annie Anipa, Assistant Commissioner and Head of Public Relations, said the focus of the international customs community was to create awareness among the consumers and decision makers to the harmful effects that counterfeiting could have on businesses, the economy, public health and consumer confidence.

It also said the growing trade in pirated and counterfeited goods were a cause of concern for governments and its impact on public health and the economy was devastating.

The statement said trade in pirated and counterfeited goods has increased tremendously over the past decade and it was causing extensive damage to global trade and national economies.

It said information cited from Pharmaceutical Security Institute showed that trade in medicines that had been fraudulently produced and mislabelled to make them look genuine was on the increase leading to death, disease and disability.

The World Customs Organisation (WCO) further called on member countries to use their customs administrations because of their strategic positions at the frontiers and authority to intercept the counterfeit goods to curb the menace.

The WCO, which is currently made up of 170 member countries controls more than 98 per cent of the world trade.