Customs Division of GRA to receive training

By Morkporkpor Anku, GNA
Accra, May 19, GNA - The Trade Related Assistance and Quality Enabling (TRAQUE) Programme is to build the capacities of officials of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority.

The training would enable the officials to apply the rules of origin as specified in the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

Mr Ignacio Burrull, the Head of Cooperation of the European Union Delegation to Ghana, announced this at the 5th TRAQUE Steering Committee Meeting, in Accra.

The meeting was to evaluate the activities of the programme on trade relations in the country.

He said the evaluation exercise would also be a key for the EU and the Ministry of Trade and Industry to prepare potential future support under the regional indicative programme.

'It's important that we build the future support on past experience, success and lessons learnt to consolidate the achievements reached by the programme,' he stated.

He said the objective of the programme was to support Ghana to tap into the opportunities offered by the EPA, whose implementation was expected to start later, this year.

He said as part of the programme, a State-of-the-Art equipment had been handed over to the Customs Laboratory at the Kotoka International Airport and also the Ghana Standards Authority.

Mr Burrull said the programme had already supported the EPA strategy by improving the quality of infrastructure in Ghana.

The Head of Cooperation said three workshops dubbed, 'Trade Days' would be organised next month for the private sector to be informed about the export market to the EU.

The workshop would enable companies to learn about how the EU market works and the requirements to access it.

Mr Murtala Muhammed Ibrahim, a Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, called for the improvement in the quality of goods produced in the country.

He commended the management of the TRAQUE programme for their support in enhancing trade relations to improve on the economy.

He said the contribution and achievements of the programme to the overall national quality system was worth highlighting.

He said the creation of an effective and efficient quality system that would improve the country's competitiveness in trade was vital.

GNA