Active policy related complaints

Showing items 1 to 3 of 3
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
Check allUncheck all		 Date of incident Location
ECOWAS
Reporting country or region
ECOWAS
Status
 Actions
NTB-000-005 6.5. Variable levies
Policy/Regulatory 		2014-03-19 Ghana: Point of Loading Burkina Faso In process View
Complaint: Section 20 (2) of the VAT Act, 1998 (Act 546) outlines the place of supply rules for services. One cardinal determinant of the tax status of a supply of service under the VAT Law is where the supply is made. That is, if established that the place of supply of a service is Ghana, then such a supply comes for consideration as taxable at the standard VAT rate under the VAT law. This directly implies that if the place of supply of service is not Ghana, no VAT should be levied.  
Progress: On 23rd September 2014, the Ghana National Committee of Borderless Alliance met the Ministry for Finance and Economic Planning of Ghana requesting that VAT should be pro-rated and charged on only the distance covered in the Ghanaian territory as is practiced in neighbouring countries. This is in direct adherence to the existing VAT law.  
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-000-001 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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