As a result of a series of capacity building missions to enhance Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA)’s abilities to effectively engage with stakeholders, Ghana has successfully launched its Joint Customs Consultative Committee (JCCC) at the Port of Tema. The launch event of the JCCC, which took place on 22 June 2018 at the Port of Tema, saw representatives of the GRA, and a wide range of stakeholders (including representatives of the private sector, the Port authority, government agencies, and the media), attend the meeting which served to officially inaugurate the establishment of the JCCC.

Since July 2013, thanks to the WCO-WACAM Project, the Ghana Revenue Authority’s officers worked together to identify key stakeholders and to work out how best to engage with them, to develope an approach that would enable all stakeholders to positively engage with GRA.  Following trainings on negotiations, communication and conflict management, GRA successfully developed its Stakeholder Engagement Strategy in 2014 and undertook preparations to make sure that those attending the Consultative Committee meetings had the maximum opportunity to contribute their ideas and views with the aim of developing practical proposals that could be implemented.

The establishment of the Joint Consultative Committee and effective stakeholder engagement will contribute to support GRA’s efforts in implementing the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), especially its article 2.2., and will generate valuable benefits for the Customs and trading community, including:

• enhanced transparency, predictability and integrity in GRA which will lead to lower transaction costs;
• enhanced facilitation and speedy clearance of goods which will help stimulate economic activity;
• better and easier access to information which will make it easier for businesses to comply thereby reducing delays and costs;
• an increasing role for the business community in the policy formulation process which will lead to better policies and procedures that will in turn reduce burdens on business and lower compliance costs.

In his keynote address, Mr. Emmanuel Kofi NTI, Commissioner-General of the GRA, highlighted the “importance of creating and sustaining 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”. Mr. NTI further 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”.

 For more information about this activity or the WCO-WACAM Project funded by Sweden, please contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org