The Greater Accra Chapter of the Ghana Union of Traders’ Association (GUTA) has expressed pain and shame in the problems they face when one of their own is the Deputy Minister of Trade.
According to them, they were proud when Carlos Ahenkorah was appointed Deputy Minister of Trade. This is because they felt as the owner of a freight and shipping business, they (GUTA) will have their interest properly served with him in that position but this has not been the case.
Speaking in an interview on Happy 98.9FM’s ‘Epa Hoa Daben’ with Samuel Eshun who sat in for the regular host, Afrifa-Mensah, the Greater Accra President of GUTA, David Amoateng said, “For the first time ever since the time of ex-president John Agyekum Kuffuor, a clearing agent was made a Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry. This was welcoming news for us but things have taken a different turn.”
He indicated that GUTA had so much faith in him and believed he will execute his mandate to the best of his ability because he was one of them. But he believes the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry is sitting aloof as members of GUTA and the Importers and Exporters Association suffer with the entire GCNET and UNIPASS brouhaha.
The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) on June 1, 2020 shut down the Ghana Community Network (GCNet) clearing system as the new Integrated Custom Management System (ICUM) popularly known as Unipass, took over.
But importers and other businessmen have had their goods sititng at the docks incurring more costs and demurrages because the UNIPASS system has failed them.
By: Joel Sanco
