EU supports Customs with lab equipment

Accra, March 18, GNA - The European Union through the Trade Related Assistance and Quality Enabling (TRAQE) Programme has presented laboratory equipment valued at 374,000 Euros to the Customs Division Laboratory of the Ghana Revenue Authority.

The Customs equipment is to help the laboratory authorities conduct effective inspection and verification of goods.

Mr William Hanna, the EU Ambassador to Ghana, presenting the equipment in Accra, said Customs were a major stakeholder in the chain of quality of foods to be consumed locally or exported.

He said both customs authorities and the importing and exporting community had shared responsibility to maximise compliance with national and international laws and regulation.

He said by verifying the compliance with quality standards of the products passing through the airport, the Union was permitting Ghana to take part in the international fresh fruit and vegetable trade.

The EU Ambassador said the TRAQE programme supported Ghanaian public authorities to facilitate trade, therefore, the right equipment must be available to test the products that entered or left Ghana.

He said the EU was committed to working with the Management of the Customs laboratory to facilitate trade relations in Ghana.

The EU, he said, was also working with the Government to remove the recent ban on the exportation of fruits and vegetables to the EU market.

Mr Kuudamnuru John Vianney, the Acting Commissioner of the Customs Division, commended the EU for the support to the country in trade facilitation.

He said the equipment would help the laboratory to check the safety of items and to protect the citizenry.

The Division, he said, would construct a new Customs laboratory to enhance their operations.

He appealed to the EU to provide training for personnel who would be manning the equipment to help improve revenue mobilisation.

GNA