Accra (Greater Accra) 29 April ?99

Importers and clearing agents have three days more to register for the Tax Payer Identification Number (TIN) that would enable them undertake business transactions in the country, a senior official of the Ministry of Finance warned on Wednesday.

Mr Kofi Opoku-Manu, Chief Director, said importers and clearing agents would find it impossible to transact business without TIN that is intended to create transparency and uniformity in customs procedures.

TIN is a business identification number that would enable businesses to be identified by all revenue collecting agencies. It forms part of measures taken by the government to reform customs administration in the country.

Mr Opoku-Manu, who was speaking at a two-day seminar on World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement on customs valuation, noted that valuation of goods has always been an essential component of modern tariff systems. However, changes in the systems have become a major obstacle to international trade.

"Government recognising the importance of standardising valuation of goods for customs purposes therefore has acceded to the WTO agreement on valuation and has committed itself to the objectives."

 Articles in the agreement to be implemented by January One next year, would bring about a uniform system of customs valuation to be applied by virtually all trading countries and would provide reliability of world trade statistics for economic comparisons.

It would also bring about fairness, neutrality and transparency which are also the basis for government putting in place new administrative measures such as the introduction of TIN.

The seminar is being organised by the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) for its staff and partners made up of clearing agents, importers, members of the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and traders' union.

The resource persons are WTO officials. It is on the theme: "The role of CEPS in facilitating legitimate trade."

Mr Opoku-Manu said the major benefits of the WTO customs agreement would be the achievement by member countries of simplified customs procedures and expeditious clearance of goods as well as the ability to bring customs administrations closer to trading institutions.

He said topics to be treated, which include the determination of customs values of imported goods, options to be adopted where values cannot be determined and the formal declaration of values, would help assist officials in their work.

Nii Okine Adjei, Commissioner of CEPS, said for a long time, valuation of imported goods for duty purposes has created some controversy between CEPS and the trading public.

"For example, whereas customs authorities have had cause to reject importers' invoice for customs purposes, the importers or their agents do not hesitate to question the correctness of the commissioner's values used by CEPS."

The need for an effective and efficient harmonisation of values has therefore become paramount in customs transactions.

The Commissioner emphasised that with the year 2000 deadline for the implementation fast approaching, CEPS is leaving no stone unturned to ensure a smooth transition.