Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has marked the 65th International Customs Day celebration in Accra under the theme “A Secure Business Environment for Economic Development”.

The day which is celebrated worldwide on January 26 is to appreciate the efforts of Customs officers and to recognize the role Customs play in securing the safety of countries’ ports.

Speaking at the event in Accra Friday, the Deputy Finance Minister, Kweku Kwarteng said, the theme for this year’s celebration defines “the needs of our times”.

He admonished Customs officers to always assess themselves and be sure they are performing their responsibilities which require them to, among other things, provide the world with the secured business environment for economic development.

The Deputy Finance Minister advised the Customs Service to critically evaluate their role and performance on the job to ensure they are in line with the theme for the celebration.

The Minister reiterated the need for certainty, fast, safe and reliable mode of goods delivery at the ports in the country saying, "The processes and procedures for the importation, exportation and clearance of goods must be convenient, timely and certain.”

According to him, the longer goods stay at the ports during the clearance processes, the more insecure they become as “They are exposed to theft, aid bribery and corruption and they are exposed to harsh weather.”

He urged the Customs Service to adopt international standards in the inspecting goods while applying modern technology as well.

This according to him, will lead to an inevitable increase in the volume of international trade.

As part of the celebration, WCO certificates were presented to some institutions and Customs officers who made sterling contributions to successful customs operations in the past year.