The Acting Director General of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Michael Luguje has called on the Tema Sector Commander of the Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority in Tema, Dr. Godfred Okoh-Appiah.
The objective of the visit is to officially introduce the new DG to the Customs Sector Command, whose office is very critical in Port Operations.
The General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Esther Gyebi-Donkor, who introduced the Acting DG, emphasized Michael Luguje’s experience in Port Management and said, he is geared to take the industry to further heights.
“Our Director General is not new in the industry. He is so conversant with what is happening in the industry. He has a wealth of experience,'' she expressed.
The Sector Commander indicated that Michael Luguje’s appointment is timely at a juncture where many reforms are being undertaken in the Port.
He briefed the Acting DG on measures that Customs are taking to increase trade facilitation and solicited for support from the Director General’s office, in achieving it.
“From the introduction and your credentials as I am hearing, then I think you could not have come at any better time than now as we are having reforms everywhere. We want to, as our target increase the number of declarations cleared within 48hours to 90 percent. So you are welcome and I wouldn’t mind coming to you every morning for discussions in order to gain more from you,'' he said.
Michael Luguje, Acting Director General of GPHA, acknowledged Customs role in achieving the trade facilitation objective as well as revenue generation which to him, is the backbone of developing economies.
''We are going to continue. We appreciate the key role of customs. The Port is all about customs. The Port Authority is to provide the infrastructure,'' the Acting DG stated.