Aflao, Jan. 23, GNA - The Aflao Sector of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) collected 170.6 billion cedis in revenue in 2004, in excess of 12.09 billion cedis or (7.6) percent on its target of 158.5 billion cedis.

In 2003 the Sector was able to collect 127.3 billion cedis, a shortfall of 5.0 percent below the target of 135.1 billion cedis. The sector is made up of Dabala, Kpoglo, Akanu, Ave-Havi and Aflao collection points.

Miss Yaa Kesiwaa Amponsah, Assistant Commissioner in charge of the Sector, announced this at the 2004 end of year Annual Dinner Dance and Awards Night for staff of the sector at Aflao on Saturday. She commended the personnel for their hard work, which despite "inadequate resources" led to the remarkable performance. Miss Amponsah observed that the faithfulness of Diamond Cement Ghana Limited (DCGL), an Aflao based producer of Portland cement in paying duties on its imported raw materials greatly enhanced the Sector's revenue mobilisation.

She, however, exhorted the personnel not to delude themselves into thinking that the trying conditions under which they had been working to achieve success within the past couple of years would be changing dramatically.

"We are still going to face daunting challenges including higher expectations from our stakeholders as government now wants to rely on domestic revenue for development instead of foreign grants," she emphasised Miss Amponsah said the initial apprehensions and misconceptions among traders towards the Ghana Community Management System (GCMS) and the GC-Net, an automated system in the clearance of goods, was giving way to acceptance of and confidence in the systems.

She expressed the hope that an on-going public education on benefits of the systems in addition to the diligence of staff acquired through training would further eliminate any lingering problems associated with them.

Miss Amponsah announced plans to provide a back-up system for Clearing Agents within the CEPS premises this year to forestall the power outages affecting the smooth operation of the GC-NET System. She was also hopeful that the authorities on their part would provide the Sector with the necessary tools to enhance operations. Brigadier-General Richardson Baiden, Commissioner of CEPS in his New Year Message, asked the personnel to redouble their efforts on achieving the virtues of discipline and exceptional work standards to make the Service a world class one.

He said management was doing its best to provide the necessary resources to facilitate improved service delivery. DCGL and 15 personnel of the Sector received awards for working towards improved revenue collection at the Sector.