GRA Commissioner-General intervenes in locked-up $45m pharma products from Global Fund

The Commissioner-General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Julie Essiam, has met with the leadership of the Country Coordinating Mechanism of the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, TB & Malaria (CCM-Ghana), in an effort to resolve the impasse over the $45 million worth of pharmaceutical products locked up at the Tema port.

Essiam speaking during an engagement with CCM-Ghana indicated that it was unfortunate that while an exemption had been granted for the products, there were outstanding liabilities for third-party clearance fees, charges, demurrage and other penalties on the goods at the port, which had led to the goods being taken into GRA Custody.

She added that the GRA would work with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health to ensure that appropriate processes are followed to secure the release of the goods.

“It is my priority to engage consistently and meaningfully with stakeholders from all sectors, to ensure that the GRA is serving the needs of our clients, not only with integrity and fairness, but also with empathy. We will continue the drive to achieve the nation’s revenue mobilization goals with greater efficiency and empathy,” Julie Essiam said during an engagement with CCM-Ghana.

The GRA Commissioner-General emphasized that it was important to pay special attention to where the GRA’s operations intersected with the health sector, as human lives were at risk.

The Acting Chair of CCM-Ghana, Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin, on behalf of the team, lauded the Commissioner-General for her proactive and solution-oriented approach, highlighting the tremendous impact that the release of the health commodities would make on the health sector.

The meeting was attended by Julie Essiam, Commissioner-General, GRA; Emmanuel Ohene, Deputy Commissioner, Customs Operations; Kofi Baidoo, Principal Economics Officer at the Ministry of Finance; Ernest Amoabeng Ortsin, Acting Chair CCM-Ghana; Samuel Hackman, Executive Secretary, CCM-Ghana; and Sidney Kweku Danso, Oversight Officer COVID-19 Response Mechanism.

Meanwhile, it is anticipated that following the intervention of Commissioner-General Essiam, the first batch of 12 bills for the pharmaceutical products will be dispatched from the ports by the close of this week, for onward distribution to support the country’s fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

MA/AE