The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has re-launched its Joint Customs Consultative Committee (JCCC) for its operations at the Tema Port.

The JCCC which consist of representatives of all stakeholders on the Custom supply chain was introduced as part of the GRA’s Stakeholders Engagement Strategy and currently working efficiently at the Kotaka International Airport.

Five sub-committees namely Examination/Inspection, Warehousing, Security, IT and Transit would operate under the JCCC to ensure its effectiveness and efficiency.

Mr Isaac Crentsil, Commissioner, Customs Division of the GRA said the Committee was to ensure that GRA undertook full consultation on Customs operational matters and to review with stakeholders the impact of any proposed changes.

Mr Crentsil added that it also aimed at identifying issues and finding solutions to them while avoiding delays and high cost of doing business at the Port.

He indicated that the JCCC would ensure that trade issues were taken into account in the formulation of business process solutions, implementation plans, testing and training for services relevant to GRA’s trading community.

It would also serve as a forum for stakeholders to exchange information and make decisions influencing the direction of future business and Customs operations with special regard to effective and efficient clearance processes at the Port.

The consultative groups, he added, would also focus on national, regional, and global issues affecting the work of GRA systems and procedures together with those operated by other agencies, businesses and trade organizations.

The Custom Commissioner assured that his outfit would ensure information accessibility as well as value the stakeholders to guarantee the use of their inputs and how they want to be engaged based on their peculiar issues.

Mr Emmanuel Kofi Nti, Commissioner-General of the GRA in a keynote address, said the stakeholder engagements would be sustained to ensure improved and sustainable free-flow of information.

Mr Nti added that the engagements must not be allowed to relapse indicating that “it is important to create and sustain a workable Joint Customs Consultative Committee at our ports and stations to address all issues that may arise through our corporate policies, procedures and processes in pursuit of achieving organizational goals”.

He noted that creation of mutual understanding and value exchange among members of the JCCC would make stakeholders own the country’s business processes and be compliant of all regulatory requirements.

The Commissioner-General of the GRA implored Ghanaians especially business owners to meet their obligations to ensure that enough revenue accrued for government to undertake more developmental projects.

The JCCC is chaired by Dr Godfred Okoh-Appiah, Tema Sector Commander of the Custom Division of the GRA.