The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce (GNCC), Mark Badu Aboagye says his outfit has intensified measures to prevent the importation of substandard goods by its members ahead of the Christmas season.
According to him, the GNCC is working in close collaboration with the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and other relevant stakeholders in this regard.
Christmas seasons in the country are usually coupled with the influx of substandard goods on the markets basically due to numerous unapproved entries into the country.
In an interview with Citi Business News, Mark Badu Aboagye said his members have been sensitized on the need to ensure goods imported into the country are of standard and further called on regulatory agencies to intensify their checks at the country’s ports.
“Smuggling is an offense and anything that has to do with importation of goods without going through the right channels is also an offense punishable by law. So what we do is that we work closely with Customs and also the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and also ensure that our members who are importing are constantly sensitized so that they import what is right into the economy.”
He added that: “Again to avoid any challenges, we make sure that as part of our activities we have workshops for our members to guide them in doing the right thing. We are doing our part, but we also continue to collaborate with GPHA. We don’t work at the ports, we just import, so we expect that the security agencies at the ports will also do their work very well and that if anybody brings in anything that is substandard those goods will be confiscated and the people prosecuted”.
