GRi BEF News Ghana 13 - 07 - 2001
South African business delegation tours Tema Port
Tema (Greater Accra) 13 July 2001
Ghana stands to lose substantial foreign exchange charged by some local industries if the government did not put in proper mechanisms to monitor their payments.
Investigations conducted by the Ghana News Agency has revealed that some companies that render service to firms and are paid in foreign exchange, direct such payments to be made into their foreign accounts.
Thus foreign exchange that should have been deposited into a Ghanaian bank to increase the country's foreign exchange receipts does not come.
The investigations showed that the management of a divested company directed its foreign client for whom it had provided services in Ghana, to send the initial deposit into its accounts in a bank in the United States.
The local agent of the foreign company (the client), who is a Ghanaian, had to act quickly to stop this bad practice, by directing his Principals to send the commitment deposit in dollars to Ghana.
The Agent, who wants to remain anonymous, said all these happen because the Ministry of Trade and Industry has no monitoring system to check such lapses in some of the companies.
In an interview, Mr Boniface Sidique, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, said to check some of these lapses in the industrial sector, Personnel of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) were attached to those industries that produce for local consumption or for export, to check various revenue receipts that should be paid into government accounts.
However, he said, with regard to the issue of industries that provide services and that undertake foreign contracts, "we are studying the whole system so that we can check such foreign exchange drain".
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Tema (Greater Accra) 13 July 2001
Two South African businessmen on business exploration on Wednesday toured the Tema Port to study its management facilities.
The two: Mr William Paskins, Chief Executive Officer and Mr Jan du Preez are experts in Management of Facilities/Equipment of Rebserve Limited of South Africa.
They were specifically interested in facilities/equipment in place and shared views with the management of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) on how to improve operations there.
A Ghanaian, Dr Douglas Boateng, Chairman, Pan Avest of Pan African Investment Holdings based in South Africa accompanied them.
Mr Paskins said the quality of infrastructure helps to improve efficiency and expressed their preparedness to share their skills with the people of Ghana in the spirit of South African-Ghana co-operation.
Mr Jim Fugar, Fishing Harbour Manager, told the team that facilities at the port consist of quayside, breakwaters, electrical systems, cranes and maintenance organisation.
He disclosed that management normally budgets about 600 million cedis towards maintenance of facilities at the port, which is carried out internally by the staff.
Mr Fugar said some aspects of the maintenance work were sometimes given out on contract.
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