All active complaints

Showing items 41 to 44 of 44
Complaint number NTB Type
Category 1. Government participation in trade & restrictive practices tolerated by governments
Category 2. Customs and administrative entry procedures
Category 5. Specific limitations
Category 6. Charges on imports
Category 7. Other procedural problems
Category 8. Transport, Clearing and Forwarding
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ECOWAS
Reporting country or region
ECOWAS
Status
 Actions
NTB-000-004 7.3. Corruption 2014-02-19 Benin: Kraké Nigeria New View
Complaint: I was furious yesterday at the activities of the Benin Police who stamp peoples passport. In fact I was returning to Lagos from Porto Novo yesterday, and on reaching the Benin Immigration cubicle (where they stamp passports), I saw an ugly scene. Nigerians returning like myself were shouting and cursing, but nobody was ready to listen.
What was the problem? The Benin officers insisted that every new passport attracts a stamping fee of =N=1,000.00 and old passports (like my own) attracts a fee of =N=500.00. Previously they charged =N=500.00 for new passports and =N=200.00 for old passports.

I gave them the old fee, and they promptly threw it back at me. Even when I explained that I am coming from a very legitimate trip (From Songhai Centre), the officer-in-charge (around 1:00pm) retorted that Songhai Centre do not control borders, and threw my passport back to me. After shouting and waiting for about 20 minutes, (and being that I was in a hurry to move ahead so I can meet an urgent appointment in Lagos), I had no option but to painfully give them the =N=500.00, which they pocketed, before stamping my passport.

This reporting this incident i want to seek clarifications from you as to what is proper and also a call for you to investigate and sanction Benin Police & Immigration officers. All you need to do is to visit Benin stamping office with passport, and they will tell you the fee. Also Nigerian Immigration officers charge =N=500.00 for new passports and =N=200.00 for old passports. Please investigate all these, and restore order at Seme-Krake border! 		 
NTB-000-003 2.6. Additional taxes and other charges
Policy/Regulatory 		2014-08-23 Ghana: Aflao Burkina Faso In process View
Complaint: A particular Burkina Transport Company (name withheld) which had been subjected to withholding tax in Ghana when it was moving goods on transit.  
Progress: On 23rd September 2014, the Ghana National Committee of Borderless Alliance met the Ministry for Finance and Economic Planning requesting that the Ghana Revenue Authority issue a statement clarifying the issue and specifying that this refers to all foreign transport companies contracted to transport cargoes from Ghana’s port to another country.  
NTB-000-002 7.3. Corruption 2011-01-20 Ghana: Paga Ghana In process View
Complaint: The activities of these ‘goro boys’ were reported to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade and Transport some 3 years ago. Further to this, a memorandum was issued by the then Deputy Commissioner of Operations on March 24th 2011, to the Assistant Commissioner at Bolgatanga, directing that necessary steps be taken to stop these illegal activities at the Paga station and further directed that the transit truck drivers be made to present their documents directly to GRA Customs without using these intermediaries.

After a relative short improvement in terms of a reduction of these irregular activity , we can report that these “goro boys” are back at Paga and their activities have even extended to Hamle and Kulungungu border posts. This persistent problem adds extra and unnecessary costs to traders, rendering the Tema–Paga corridor uncompetitive for transit trade, and contributing to increasing costs of doing business along our transit corridors. 		 
Progress: On 23rd September 2014, the Ghana National Committee of Borderless Alliance met the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning and respectfully requested their outfit to take the necessary steps to address the menace as it adds unnecessary costs to doing business.  
NTB-000-001 2.9. Issues related to transit fees
Policy/Regulatory 		2014-07-23 Ghana: Aflao Burkina Faso In process View
Complaint: The US$200 transit fee is a disincentive to the transit export trade through the ports of Ghana, which mostly consist of low value raw or semi-finished agricultural products. These exports compete on the world market with similar products from others in the sub-region. This significantly affects export volumes. For example SOFITEX has discontinued the export of cotton through Ghana mainly because of the implementation of the US$ 200 transit fee. This measure is also encouraging malpractices in the system which deprives Ghana of the legitimate benefits. It is important to note also that Ghana is the only country within the West Africa sub-region where exports from landlocked countries are obliged to pay a transit fee.

Another adverse effect of this fee is the fact that it encourages traders to move cargo in large consignments in order to avoid multiple payments per consignment. This often leads to congestion at the borders and also at the warehouses where goods are being offloaded. Such large movements are also not too good for the sustainability of the roads. 		 
Progress: The Ghana National Committee of Borderless Alliance respectfully requested the Ministry for Finance and Economic Planning of Ghana in a meeting on 23rd September 2014 for the repeal of those sections of the law (i.e. the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (Management/Amendment) Act (614), 2002 and Section 48 Sub-section 2 of PNDC L 330 as amended by the Commissioner’s Order No. 6 of 2002), especially when no such fees are imposed at the seaports and airports for the transit import trade.  
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