Customs Brokers Association of Ghana has held its maiden Annual General meeting with a call on government to endeavor to streamline activities at the country’s port to reduce the time spent on clearing goods at the Port.
As part of efforts to re-strategize and position itself for the future with operations at the ports, the Association said it is positioning itself to become a formidable force within the clearing and forwarding industry.
This was made known at the Association’s maiden general meeting (AGM), at Koforidua in the Eastern Region.
The event was under the theme ‘honouring the past, treasuring the present and repositioning CUBAG to influence the industry’.
The event brought together industry players across the country to deliberate on issues affecting the association and shipping in the country at large.
Speaking at the event, the commissioner of the customs division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Isaac Crentsil noted that it is important for freight forwarders within the country to uphold higher ethical standards in the discharge of their duties to ensure that importers get the derived satisfaction from their services.
He advised freight forwarders to desist from asking their secretaries and non-professionals in doing entries as they form part of the problems causing delays in documentation processing.
“It is unfortunate that in the era of paperless these freight forwarders continue to hold papers in the hands to process their clearance. I have personally instructed my people not to have anything to do with papers. Some of these agents allow their secretaries to do entries on their behalf which are mostly full of errors which forms part of the delays,” he said.
Mr Crentsil congratulated CUBAG for organising its maiden AGM and urged them to take advantage of the occasion to position itself to positively influence the shipping industry.
The acting President of the Association, Mr Ntow noted that the national executive committee of CUBAG has been working tirelessly over the years to put the association on the map to enable it gain high recognition in the clearing and freight forwarding industry.
“CUBAG is now made up of a galaxy of young, vibrant and ambitious intellectuals whose enthusiasm to inject modern ideas into the administration of our association has now become clear and evident. Let us therefore put all our skills and talents together to push it the higher pedestal we all wish for” he added
The Tema Chapter Chairman of the Association, Emmanuel Gadzekpo called for unity and sense of purpose among members of the association as it position itself as one of the best freight forwarding association in the country.
Some executives from the Ghana
Shippers Authority, Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, Association of Custom House Agencies of Ghana and the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders were present to solidarize with the association.
They advised cubag to ensure that the annual general meeting does not become a nine day wonder but an annual ceremony where members are briefed on how the association is faring.