The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has expressed disquiet about recent increases in valuation of goods at the ports.
The traders blame the situation on the Customs Classification and Valuation Report (CCVR) system used by the Ghana Revenue Authority at the ports.
The CCVR is a report issued by the Customs Valuation Team that classifies and values the goods to be imported.
Speaking to Citi Business News on the issue, the National Organizer of GUTA, Joseph Obeng stated that there must be a stakeholders meeting to stop the act.
“We have been inundated with numerous complaints from members of the trading community, especially importers, about the arbitrary increase in values of imports by the CCVR Valuation Unit,” he said.
Earlier, a press release from GUTA signed by the Public Relations Officer Joseph Paddy explained that on average, the values have gone up by about 100% while some Shipping lines take advantage of the situation.
“It has a greater possibility of increasing price. If this practice of Customs valuation does not seize immediately; its repercussion on efforts of government aimed at curbing price hikes may not be achieved”.
The statement warned that the development will not augur well for the development and growth of the economy as it stifles all the efforts to facilitate trade and reduce time and cost of doing business in the country.
“In fact, the situation in the port seems not to only surprise the Business Community but is also confusing.We do not even know whether the new system has a set of values as a bench mark for valuation, resulting in this catastrophic and unwarranted increase of values,” the statement said.
“The process by which this anomaly could be rectified is through the appeal system which has been the norm all these years, but appeals are now being rejected by the CCVR appeal unit of the Ghana Revenue Authority,” it added.
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By: Lawrence Segbefia/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana