Acting Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Ms Julie Essiam, has met with the leadership of the Country Coordinating Mechanism of the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, TB & Malaria (CCM-Ghana) in an effort to resolve the impasse over the $45 million worth of pharmaceutical products locked up at the Tema port.
Ms Essiam indicated that it was unfortunate that whilst an exemption had been granted for the products, there were outstanding liabilities for third party clearance fees, charges, demurrage and other penalties on the goods at the port, which had led to the goods being taken into GRA Custody.
She indicated that the GRA would work with the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Health to ensure that appropriate processes are followed to secure the release of the goods.
The Acting GRA Commissioner-General emphasized that it was important to pay special attention where the GRA’s operations intersected with the health sector, as lives were at stake.
“It is my priority to engage consistently and meaningfully with stakeholders from all sectors, to ensure that the GRA is serving the needs of our clients, not only with integrity and fairness, but also with empathy. We will continue the drive to achieve the nation’s revenue mobilization goals with greater efficiency and empathy,” Ms Essiam said.
The Acting Chair of CCM-Ghana, Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin, on behalf of the team, thanked the Commissioner-General for her proactive and solution-oriented approach, highlighting the tremendous impact that the release of the health commodities would make.
The meeting was attended by Ms. Julie Essiam, Acting Commissioner-General, GRA; Deputy Commissioner Emmanuel Ohene, Deputy Commissioner, Customs Operations; Kofi Baidoo, Principal Economics Officer at the Ministry of Finance; Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin, Acting Chair CCM-Ghana; Samuel Hackman, Executive Secretary, CCM-Ghana; and Sidney Kweku Danso, Oversight Officer Covid-19 Response Mechanism.
Meanwhile, it is anticipated that following the intervention of Commissioner-General Essiam, the first batch of 12 bills of lading for the pharmaceutical products will be dispatched from the ports by the close of this week, for onward distribution to support the country’s fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
