Approved customs brokers join forces to counter loss and other fraud...

Tax loss, fraud, etc., many are the ills of the transit sector and which threaten the profession of approved customs broker in Togo, Ghana and Benin. And the solution to some of these ills cannot only come through individual or national actions. It is therefore on the strength of this that the Commissionaires of these three ECOWAS countries listed above have decided to pool their energies but also the actions to be taken to thwart any cross-border fraud.

The officials of UPRAD-Togo (Professional Union of Customs Authorized Agents of Togo), FEBECAD (Benin Federation of Authorized Customs Agents of Benin) and GIFF (Institution of Freight Forwarders of Ghana), were in a working session on Friday last to establish a synergy of action to contribute to eradicating the tax loss observed in their sector of activity. From this rapprochement between the approved commission agents of these three neighboring countries, collegial work is expected between the players in the sector in order to prevent any act contributing to the loss of tax revenue and at the same time, optimize income in the countries concerned, and finally, participate significantly in the creation of wealth at the national level.

Host of the meeting which lays the foundations of a tripartite synergy, UPRAD-Togo, through its president, Patrick Magnon, analyzed the situation. “Today we have understood that it is important to protect our profession more. We must make each actor responsible for what they do. Multinationals over-extrapolate their mission. The amateurs are invading us because they have the manifestos in advance, therefore, know the major projects in sight,” he said. And he thinks that this unfair competition cannot leave them indifferent. “In this context, we cannot remain idle. After several exercises, our States are ready today to support us,” added Mr. Magnon.

As head of the satisfied delegation, his Ghanaian alter ego, Edward Akrong, president of the GIFF, has faith in the various resolutions or decisions taken and which must be acted upon by the Togolese, Beninese and Ghanaian actors. And does he situate this initiative of pooling efforts to this urgency which calls on actors in the same field to come together to close their ranks. “We have a mission well accomplished when we arrive here in Togo. We noticed that we were doing the same activities, the same businesses, so we found a business chain. So if we cut the chain, a whole life is cut off. So, our mission is to strengthen ties with our Togolese and Beninese brothers,” is the opinion of the first manager of GIFF (Ghana).

As for the Beninese representative, he went there with the various frauds which are commonplace in the transit sector in the three countries which are joining together. Tayewo Moustapha listed among other frauds, false cash declarations, fraudulent discharges, and smuggling. It is therefore essential, according to the 1st Vice-President of FEBECAD, to combat these types of fraud to restore the nobility of the profession of customs brokers. “We intend to work to make our profession more noble. Our role is not only financial, it is also security. We cannot bring in illicit products without customs protocols. The destruction of our country will not happen through us. We will work to achieve the union that is slow to arrive between the ECOWAS member countries,” he stressed.

In addition to the press briefing which signaled the end of the working meeting in Lomé outlining the union of customs brokers from Togo, Ghana and Benin, it should be noted that the three delegations also went to meet those responsible state and private institutions. A way for them to gain all the support essential to achieve the objectives set.

T228

N.B : In picture, from left to right, MM Akrong, Magnon and Moustapha