IMPORTERS FORUM HELD IN TAMALE

IMPORTERS FORUM HELD IN TAMALE
In the quest to ensure free flow of goods and service in and outside the country importers forum under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industry and in collaboration with Ghana Standard Board (GSB) and other relevant agencies in the sector has organized in the northern regional capital, Tamale. The forum was aimed at educating importers and exporters as well as the general public on the Destination Inspection Scheme (DIS) with particular reference to the inspection of high risk goods. In a speech read on his behalf, the Acting Director of GSB, Dr. George Ben Crentsil said the role of the Board is to ensure at the ports compliance of imported goods with established Technical Regulation in order to prevent the importation and distribution of sub-standard product into the Ghanaian market. In the area of the DIS is to carry out Destination Inspection on high risk goods at the point of entry explaining that high risk goods are goods that have serious health and safety implications on the consuming public among others. He added that the GSB has recommended to the sector ministry that standards for Cements, Iron rods, electrical cables, sockets, plugs, Circuit breakers and voltage regulations among others standards should be elevated to the level of technical. The deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Joseph Samuel Annan said international trade provides and important engine for the private sector development and reduction in global poverty. The Minister said initiative to accelerate trade through the removal of non-tariff barriers and lowered trade cost are now increasingly recognized as key factors that affect private performance. He said governments strategy for export expansion and enhancement of domestic trade depends to a considerable extent, on the smooth passage of goods and services in and out of the country’s port as well as on low transaction. He also announced that government has therefore put trade facilitating at the center of trade reforms in the country saying this initiative has made trade procedures and custom processes at borders has been transformed with more ease.