DICs operations improve government’s revenue – Minister

Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Trade and Industry, said available records showed that Destination Inspection Companies (DICs) had operated efficiently over the years to enhance the government’s revenue.

“Recognizable result in the area of trade facilitation enhanced revenue for government as well as improved cargo handling and port management, among others, had been achieved.

“…in the last 10 years, almost 70% of all invoices presented had been intervened either by evaluation, or reclassification or both or by scanning discrepancies,” the Minister said.

Mr Iddrisu made the remark in a speech read on his behalf on Thursday in Accra at a seminar organised by the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) in conjunction with the DICs and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) on the maritime sector for journalists and other media personnel.

He said it was in pursuance of the desire of government, to ensure speedy clearance with a view of reducing the cost of doing business and that DICs were contracted to provide efficient, verification, classification and valuation by the introduction technology in the form of non-intrusive cargo scanning, computerized risk management systems.

Mr Iddrisu said the introduction of the scheme brought in its wake the reduction in clearance time, training and transfer of technical know-how to custom officers and other stakeholders, savings interventions to the tune of over $648 million in a single year.

He said it had led to the modernization of the clearance system through the introduction of the state of the art technology and reduction in the proliferation of fake and illicit drugs.

The Minister said the gains notwithstanding the scheme had been faced with a couple of challenges such as delays in the issuance of final classification and verification report leading to congestion at the port, especially at Tema and frequency arbitrary increase in freight values by the DICs and customs.

He said it was in addressing the challenges that the government was introducing measures aimed at strengthening the management and supervisory role of the Ministry, to ensure that DICs performed to their maximum capacities, tightening all potential sources of revenue leakages, as well as enhanced collection by customs.

Mr Kofi Mbiah, Chief Executive Officer of the GSA, urged the media to play its watchdog role well in the socio-economic management of the nation for the benefit of all.

Nana Asamoah Boadu, Managing Director of Ghana Link Network Services, on behalf of the Joint Consultative Committee on the Destination Inspection Scheme group of companies, said Ghana as a developing could continue to depend on the ports to a variety of needs both in terms of development and basic consumables.

Dr Affail Monney, President of the GJA, commended the GSA and the DICs, for organising such seminars to help build the capacity of journalists in maritime reporting.