Ghana Customs develops a national pool of Rules of Origin trainers

24 January 2025

Under the framework of the EU-WCO RoO Africa Programme, funded by the European Union, the World Customs Organization (WCO) held a national Training of Trainers workshop on Rules of Origin for Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). The workshop was held in Accra, Ghana, from 20 to 24 January 2025 with the objective to assist Ghana in enhancing its knowledge and application of preferential Rules of Origin and contribute to a seamless implementation of the AfCFTA and other relevant FTAs.

The workshop was conducted as part of a comprehensive partnership with GRA and builds on the acquis from intermediate and advanced trainings conducted since 2023. The support provided under the RoO Africa Programme allows for the deployment of wide-ranging capacity building activities, to enhance the infrastructure and capacity of GRA on Rules of Origin.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Emmanuel Ohene, Ag. Deputy Commissioner, Operations, stressed that Rules of Origin are critical, both for revenue collection and trade facilitation. Participants were privileged to be selected for the Training of Trainers which would enable them to contribute to the development of human resources within GRA and among its stakeholders. GRA expressed gratitude to the WCO for supporting the administration since the humble beginning of an origin unit to the establishment of a pool of origin experts and trainers.

The workshop provided participants with an opportunity to refine their knowledge of Rules of Origin, while also enhancing their skills in designing and delivering effective training sessions. The workshop offered the participants a unique opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of origin-related topics through group and individual presentations, incorporating facilitation and communication skills acquired from WCO experts.
At the conclusion of the workshop, the WCO experts offered constructive feedback to participants, highlighting areas for improvement, and praising their success in applying newly acquired skills to develop training materials and deliver a training session.

In the margins of the workshop, the WCO experts had an exploratory meeting with the Ghana National AfCFTA Coordinating Office to discuss possible areas for assistance and cooperation.

The EU-WCO RoO Africa Programme will continue its work with Ghana Customs to equip Customs officials and relevant stakeholders with extended knowledge for efficient implementation and application of Rules of Origin.

For further information please contact EU-WCORoOAfrica.Program@wcoomd.org