Accra, Sept. 13, GNA - Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA's) are in arrears of more than 3.5 million Ghana cedis import duties from January to June this year.

The arrears arose as a result of rescheduled payments, which are yet to be settled by the MDA's to the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service.

The figure, first dropped by the Commissioner for Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Mr. Emmanuel Nmashie Doku at the sitting of the Justice Samuel Glenn Baddoo Committee, was repeated at Thursday hearing of the Committee in Accra.

Witness Mr. Robert Kwabena Poku Kyei, Advisor to the Minister of Finance told the Committee that the Ministry had a facility for the MDAs which permitted clearance pending a debit to the Investment Vote Account to cover payment of duties and taxes. However, almost all Government institutions did not consider the payment of the duties and taxes as a priority, hence the arrears. The Committee agreed on the need for sanctions for defaulting government institutions, and a change of attitude in the payment of duties and taxes.

Mr Kyei agreed for a publication of quarterly reports on the payment of duties.

Another witness, Ms. Millicent Kweikor Akpo-Teye, until recently the Head of the Auctions Unit of CEPS said the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority often puts off the electricity system for perishable items, including frozen ones that were to be auctioned because they owed electricity bills.