Mr Emmanuel Kofi Nti ,GRA boss
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) will from today commence implementation of the Cargo Tracking Notes (CTN) policy at the country’s ports.
A statement signed and issued by the Commissioner-General of GRA, Emmanuel Kofi Nti in Accra yesterday, said the policy was to provide greater scrutiny of major imports for both valuation and security management purposes.
It said importers whose imports from records exceed 36 Twenty Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) per year would be required to obtain a CTN Number in the country of export.
“This means any importer who imports less than 36 TEUs per year is exempt from the CTN compliance. Further, businesses that import more than 36 TEUs per year but can demonstrate that the nature of their imports and their turnovers make them small importers will also be exempt,” the statement explained.
The exemptions, it said were to ensure that small and medium scale importers, mostly petty traders, market men and women, small distributors and other small to medium businesses were free from the requirements of the policy.
The statement reiterated government’s commitment to monitor closely the implementation of the policy to be able to study the needed lessons and adjust the scope if necessary for the realisation of both the valuation and security management objectives of the intervention.
Since its introduction, the CTN which was earlier scheduled for take-off on September 1 this year, has led to strike action by the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), Association of Custom House Agents of Ghana (ACHAG), Freight Forwarders Association of Ghana, and the Custom Brokers Association of Ghana (CUBAG) as well as an intended closure of all shops by members of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) to protest against government’s decision to implement the policy.
Following the protest, the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo postponed the implementation of the CTN policy to October 15 from September 1 to allow all stakeholders engage and resolve issues related to the system.
Meanwhile, a freight forwarder, John Kwame Adu Jack has sued the GRA and the CTN Ghana Limited over the implementation of the CTN system.
Mr Adu Jack is praying the court to place an injunction on the implementation of the system, which is to start today.
CTN are official marine certificates that are required by various African countries, which contain detailed information of cargo and its shipment between ports.
The CTN gives full details of exporter and importer, shipping methods, type and value of the cargo transported, cost of the freight as well as the name of the ship.
By Times Reporter
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