US-Ghana Customs sign pact to check crime

Accra, Dec. 9, GNA - Ghana and the United States on Tuesday signed a Customs Mutual Management Assistance Agreement under which their Customs, Excise and Preventive Services (CEPS) would exchange information for improved revenue generation and for the prevention, investigation and repression of custom offences.

The agreement provides the basis for cooperation and investigation in the areas of security, commercial fraud, narcotics smuggling and export control, terrorism and would be mutually beneficial to the Customs Administrations of both countries by enhancing their abilities to enforce Customs laws.

At a meeting with Mr Robert C. Bonner, US Customs and Border Commissioner of Customs, who signed the agreement on behalf of his country, Vice President Aliu Mahama lauded the new partnership and urged him to initiate training programmes for his Ghanaian counterparts to improve their skills and knowledge for maximum efficiency.

Vice President Mahama said the Government was committed to making CEPS a top class organization because it collected more than 50 per cent of the nation's domestic revenue, making it very crucial for economic growth.

The Government, he said, had accordingly secured funds to improve upon the operations of CEPS at the country's entry points and to reduce the cost of doing business in Ghana to encourage investments.

Additionally, Vice President Mahama said CEPS had set up an Internal Affairs Unit to put its house in order so that there would be accountability and check on corruption.

Vice President Mahama said in line with the Government's policy of zero tolerance of corruption, a similar unit would be set up by the Ghana Police Service to ensure that personnel carried out their duties with a high level of moral uprightness and integrity.

He, therefore, urged the US to assist the units of both organizations with their human resource development.

"We believe that with your cooperation we would improve upon the professionalism of our officers and give our organizations a better image," he said.

Mr Bonner praised the determination of the Government to check corruption and ensure fairness and accountability, saying the setting up of the Office of Accountability at the Presidency was in the right direction.

He gave the assurance that his outfit would do its best to support its Ghanaian colleagues and to make the partnership mutually beneficial.

Mr Bonner said the agreement was very important as the US domestic laws, and most foreign national laws, did not permit disclosure of much information in the absence of a formal agreement or treaty.

The agreement would thus allow the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to exchange information and intelligence with Ghana.

Ghana has become the second country in Africa to have such a partnership with the United States, after South Africa, which signed that agreement two years ago.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection had signed agreements with a number of other Customs administrations. So far 53 agreements have been signed.

Dr Samuel Nii-Noi Ashong, Minister of State in-charge of Planning, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, who signed on behalf of Ghana, was at the meeting at the Castle.

Brigadier Richardson Baiden, Commissioner of CEPS, US Ambassador to Ghana, Mary Carlin Yates and other US officials were also at the meeting.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is an agency within the Department of Homeland Security that unifies U.S. Customs, Immigration and Agriculture Inspectors and the U.S. Border Patrol.