Accra, Sept. 28, GNA - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), on Monday, presented computers and office equipment worth 112,900 dollars to members of the Tariff Advisory Board (TAB) to help in its operations.

The donated items included HP computers, scanners, a Samsung DVR CCTV system and a Conference Audio System. Making the presentation in Accra, Dr Susan Hester, Director of the Trade and Investment Programme for Competitive Export Economy (TIPCEE) at the USAID, expressed the hope that TAB would be able to harness opportunities that Information Communication and Technology (ICT) presented to help the board provide a clear and transparent assessment of the impact the tariff policy has on the competitiveness of the trade industry.

Mr John Gyetuah, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, expressed government's appreciation for the donation which was in support of the country's socio-economic development agenda. He reiterated government's commitment to providing the human and institutional needs of the board to enable it to meet its developmental goals.

"Government will continue not only to create a conducive business environment but also enhance your operations by creating a level playing field to ensure fair competition," he told members of TAB. Mr Tawia Akyea, Chairman of TAB, said the equipment would enable the board to operationalise and fast-track its work to meet its developmental goals.

"The board would have to do a lot of data processing and analysis as well as handle a lot of documentations. These days most organizations operate efficiently with the use of ICT and that is why this equipment is so important to the work of the board," he said. The TAB was established to act as a Trade Commission to provide clear and transparent institutional framework to assess the impact of the tariff policy on competitiveness of the industry. It is also to ensure that clear guidelines, procedures and appropriate legislation were provided to determine and implement trade contingency measures namely anti-dumping and countervailing measures so as to respond to petitions from the private sector. Members of the board, who would be appointed by the Minister of Trade, are expected to advise the sector minister on tariff and trade related issues.