The ICC Ghana Secretary General Emmanuel Doni-Kwame has said Ghana is missing out on important trade benefits, because it has not signed the Istanbul Convention which grants access to ATA Carnet – a passport for goods that allows temporary imports without paying duties or taxes.
Speaking on Eye on Port powered by the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority (GPHA), Doni-Kwame stressed the country’s need to join the convention and enhance its trade competitiveness. He explained that ATA Carnet is an international Customs document that allows businesses to temporarily bring goods into a country for up to a year without paying import charges. He added that it makes trade easier by allowing goods to move across multiple countries under one document.
He pointed out that Côte d’Ivoire already uses the passport – making it easier for businesses there to bring in equipment and other products for short-term use. In contrast, he said, Ghanaian companies must go through Customs procedures which may require them to pay duties on temporarily imported goods.
Credit: B&FT online