Denu, Oct. 10, GNA - Mr George Blankson, Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), has urged divisions under the Authority to ensure effective integration among them because it would serve their interest and that of the nation.

He assured them that no staff would lose his or her job as a result of the integration, explaining that the fresh appointments letters issued to them were to legalize their new status as staff of the GRA. Mr Blankson was addressing the opening ceremony of the Customs Divisio= n Junior Staff Association's 10th Biannual Delegates Conference on Friday a= t Denu. He said the old corporate arrangements were defunct and that their assets including employees had been amalgamated. The three-day conference to discuss matters of interest and elect new executives was under the theme: 93Role and Challenges of the Customs Offic= er in the Ghana Revenue Authority".

Mr Blankson noted that dividends, as a result of the integration, by way of revenue mobilization, were already being realized, with the 2011 annual target already met and exceeded by September. He congratulated the Customs Division for exceeding the 2011 target, s= o far, by over 30 per cent, saying that encouraging performance needed to be sustained. Mr Blankson said operational challenges facing the sector were being tackled, but advised all personnel to be disciplined. He said GRA had achieved harmonization of salaries, negotiated a 15 pe= r cent pay rise, paid clothing allowance for the first time to Custom Officers, topped-up personnel's providence fund contributions and sponsor= ed 800 personnel in ICT skills.

Mr Blankson noted that the Customs Division was key to government's revenue mobilization, protection of the territory and investment promotion. Major-General Carl Modey, Commissioner of the Customs Division of the GRA, appealed to his men and women to apply professionalism in their duties to erase the negative perception about the Division as corrupt. He said his outfit would not condone wrong doing, observing that since January this year, the Division recorded 31 cases of misconduct, 21 of whic= h were by members of the Junior Staff.

Major-General Modey therefore urged the conference not to concentrate on welfare issues alone but also tackle discipline among its members. Colonel Cyril Necku, (rtd) Deputy Volta Regional Minister told the personnel to be committed to enable them to attain targets which would give government the needed funds for development. Concerns raised include delays in promotions, accommodation and monopoly of service providers, such as the GC-Net, while solidarity message= s came from Aflao Customs Ladies Club, GRA Senior Staff and Retired Customs Officers associations.