Council of State member monopolising frozen foods importation - Importers

White Stone Frozen Foods Limited, and M&Jees Company are gradually monopolising the importation of the frozen poultry and other frozen products market as lower customs values are charged on its dealings to higher values to its competitors by Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Customs Division.

Several Importers in the frozen food industry are gradually being left to lick their wounds as higher customs charges are preferred on them on the same product and tonnage as compared to White Stone Frozen Foods Limited that is in the same business.

It has been alleged that the companies WHITE STONE FOODS,M&JEES COMPANY LIMITED which are owned by a of Council of State Member who also serves as one of the board members of GPHA is been charged between $0.60 to 0.64 cents as a customs value per kilogram on a Frozen Chicken Leg Quarters and a Chicken Back goes between $0.35 to 0.38 dollar cents that is brought into the country as compared to its competitors been charged $0.90 cents to $1 dollar and $0.7 to 0.80 dollar cent per kilogram respectively on the same frozen items.

With the differentials in charges by the GRA customs division at the port, most importers of poultry and other frozen meats are unable to clear their goods giving only White Stone Frozen Foods Limited and its sister companies the upper hand of clearing their goods as a result of the lower charges preferred them.

It is becoming increasingly clear that those companies who are direct competitors are been chased out of business due to the influence of this powerful Council of State and a Board member of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA).

Sources further alleged that this Council of State member popularly known as LABIANCA' has supported the almighty NPP through the first lady with a whopping 2million US dollars that might have necessitated these charging differentials by the customs officials at the Port.

Some customs officials are also alleged to be on the payroll of this powerful Council of State member.

As per investigation, the reason for including these officers on her payroll is to instigate or set them against her competitors by frustrating them through unnecessary tagging of their consignments which also affect them adversely because as a result of this tagging and examination officers nagging, with such importers end up paying unnecessary port electricity charges, further rent and further demurrage charges.

The truth of the matter is simple, a government that is determined to encourage private sector participation and development cannot allow this unfair system to exist. It makes the other importers not competitive which is eventually leading to the collapse of those entities and increase job losses which have already bedeviled this great country.