The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has reiterated its commitment to fighting corruption as required by the World Customs Organisation (WCO).
Mr Salifu Koray, Senior Revenue Officer, GRA, said Ghana had established the regulatory framework as required by the WCO and international best practices; declaring that, the Customs Act, 2015 (Act 891) was passed to harmonise and simplify the previous scattered Acts.
“Corruption is a reality in every human institution and customs administrations are no exception. Empirical evidence across the globe discovered perceptions of corruption in custom administrations.”
Mr Koray remarked at the Public Sector Watch Engagement Initiative stakeholders’ engagement workshop in Accra.
He noted that in response to this, the Revised Arusha Declaration was adopted by the WCO in 2003 to provide standards for member countries to formulate and implement home grown policies and programmes to help deal with corruption.
The Arusha Declaration provides 10 interrelated elements: Leadership and commitment, regulatory framework, transparency, automation, reform and modernisation, audit and investigation, code of conduct, human resource development, moral and organisational culture and relationship with the private sector.
Mr Koray said these 10 elements were expected to reduce monopoly power, inappropriate use of official discretion, avoid face to face contact with custom officials and increase practical accountability.
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