Customs urges importers, exporters to minimise documentation errors to enhance efficiency

The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has urged importers, exporters and other actors in Ghana’s international trade ecosystem to minimise documentation errors, cautioning that inaccurate or incomplete declarations contribute significantly to delays in Customs processing and ultimately increase the cost of doing business. Rubben Kwaku Satu, Esq., Supervisor at the Customs Technical Services Bureau (CTSB) and officer in charge of Strategy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, identified the lack of supporting documentation for declarations and appeals; data-entry errors involving vehicle chassis numbers, models, and engine cubic capacities; incomplete certificates of origin; and the attachment of incorrect invoices and bills of lading as some of the recurring problems confronting Customs.

Speaking during a UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce (UKGCC) and PwC Ghana webinar on “Customs, Import Documentation, and Trade Facilitation: Improving Efficiency for Businesses,”Mr. Satu continued that without supporting documentation, an officer may be unable to justify accepting the importer’s position, which can prolong processing. Data-entry errors, on the other hand, can lead to incorrect assessments and require subsequent corrections, modifications, or cancellations.

Furthermore, incomplete certificates can result in claims for preferential tariff treatment being rejected until the documentation is corrected, while the cancellation or modification of declarations containing incorrect invoices or bills adds both cost and time to the clearance process. “These documentation errors or compliance errors, when minimised, ensure that Customs is efficient for businesses,” Mr.

Satu remarked, and urged business owners to get involved in the process to reduce the errors. “As a business owner, get involved in the clearance process. That is the only way errors will be minimised and you’ll get value for money to protect your business,” he said. Get it right before the goods arrive To reduce these errors, Mr. Satu advised businesses to engage qualified and licensed Customs house agents, use pre-arrival processing and, where applicable, seek advance rulings on classification and origin.

He said regular importers could use advance rulings to establish the applicable classification and origin treatment of goods before arrival, improving predictability and allowing them to plan appropriately. Businesses importing large volumes could also consider becoming self-declarants, enabling their staff to specialise in their own import transactions.

Businesses using Customs house agents, however, should not leave the entire process to the agent. “What businesses that use Customs house agents should do is they should study the declarations received from their agent and ensure all anomalies are corrected before the goods arrive,” Mr. Satu advised. He strongly recommended pre-arrival processing so that declarations could be submitted and discrepancies dealt with before consignments reach the ports.

“Pass the declaration before the goods arrive. It will ensure that every contestation, anomaly or mistake will be corrected before the goods arrive,” he said. Businesses should also have their Import Declaration Form (IDF), bill of lading, commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, permits, licences, exemptions and authorisations, relevant bonds and guarantees, sales contracts, letters of credit and evidence of payment readily available where applicable.

A panelist, Ebenezer Agawu, Operations Manager at Consolidated Shipping Agencies LTD., concurred with Mr. Satu’s position, emphasising the importance of getting the documentation right before making a submission. “If you are able to present an accurate document, that should actually enhance the facilitation of Customs procedures and other agencies without any difficulty,” he remarked.

Customs as a shared responsibility Mr. Satu encouraged businesses to approach Customs offices with their concerns, follow Customs’ media engagements, prepare adequately before importing, and take advantage of suspense regimes and preferential arrangements including AfCFTA, the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme and the UK-Ghana Trade Partnership Agreement.

“For us to be efficient as Customs, it’s a shared responsibility between us and you. Help us to be efficient, so you also benefit as businesses,” Mr. Satu concluded. Beyond documentation and clearance efficiency, the webinar, moderated by Maxwell Ntiri, an Associate Director with PwC Ghana’s Tax Services, examined Publican- one of Customs risk management tools, Customs classification and valuation, advance rulings and appeals, post-clearance audits, the new Customs Act, non-tariff barriers and trade arrangements including AfCFTA, the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme, and the UK-Ghana Trade Partnership Agreement.