TAB poised to rectify abnormalities in the country’s business sector

Narration: The Chairman of the Tariff Advisory Board (TAB), Tawia Achia said his outfit is poised to provide a level playing field for all economic operators through effective and systematic application of a transparent tariff regime. This he revealed would help remove restrictions in Ghana’s import and export regime to encourage investment and raise competitiveness. The set goal would also ensure that tariffs are set in accordance with national economic development goals. Mr. Achia made these revelations at a training programme organized for private sector operators on how to access the services of the TAB at Bolgatanga, the Upper East Regional Capital. Isaac Asare was there for Radio Ghana and has filed this report.

CUE IN
END CUE
ANCR V/O



Report

The training programme which was being organized by the Tariff Advisory Board under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industry brought together heads of various institutions across the region, security and law enforcement agencies, business entrepreneurs and other relevant stakeholders including the press. Mr. Achiaa said the formation of the board which is the first of its kind to be established in the West African Sub region hopes to rectify all anomalies in the country’s tariff system to minimize interest group influence over contentious issues of trade policy including tariff adjustment decisions, dumping, subsidization and sharp import surges among other safeguard measures. Government in this regard seeks to deepen policy research and analysis, ensure a fairer trade approach to providing relief to domestic industries, and above all strengthen inter-institutional coordination in the implementation of trade law and policy in the country. These measures by the government are permitted under the World Trade Organization’s agreement with Ghana. He said the board on its part is to train private sector operators on how to petition and access the services of the board. The board in partnership with government hopes to provide technical support and solutions to all trade imbalances and deepen understanding of the impact of Ghana’s international trade commitments. The Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo said the establishment of the board which is supposed to advice the Trade and Industry Ministry on trade and tariff issues, till it becomes a fully fledged Ghana International Trade Commission by the end of 2012, would go a long way to boost the business and financial sector of the economy and also stem the negative activities of some foreign companies and their local counterparts. This realization he said could be sustained depending on the effectiveness of the board and to a large extend be predicated on the readiness of prospective petitioners to provide timely, accurate, sufficient and relevant data. He urged the board to therefore treat all information in a form of data with confidentiality and ensure that data collected from individual companies does not fall into the hands of their perceived competitors to enhance fair trade. Mr. Woyongo urged them to encourage competition to ensure that both local producers and foreigners operate on an even field. He pledged governments support for all business communities across the country and called for cooperation.