The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has criticised the conduct of the Deputy Finance Minister, accusing him of showing disrespect during engagements over the controversial customs AI system.
GUTA President Clement Boateng said that although traders continue to respect the Minister due to his office, the manner in which meetings have been handled has been unacceptable.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, he noted that engagements with government over the Publican AI system have yielded little progress despite over a month of discussions.
Mr. Boateng said traders were not adequately consulted prior to the rollout of the system, adding that stakeholder engagement only began after implementation had already commenced.
He stressed that the private sector remains the engine of growth and must be provided with an enabling environment, including proper consultation on major policy changes.
According to him, GUTA has already expressed strong concerns about the system and expects government to listen and work collaboratively to address the challenges facing importers and traders.
The association has outlined plans to take further action to draw attention to the issue, insisting that the current situation at the ports requires urgent intervention.
“The Minister requested that we suspend our current action until we have a meeting with him. However, we want the government to recognise that what is happening is unacceptable. It has been over a month of back-and-forth communications, and during meetings, the Deputy Minister conducts himself as if he is addressing children. We give him the respect he deserves because of his position, but it’s clear that the private sector is the engine of growth, and there needs to be an enabling environment for it to thrive, including in trade facilitation,” he said.
“Unfortunately, all the meetings we’ve had with him have not yielded any results. We have expressed our dissatisfaction with an initiative he has introduced, and he needs to listen to our concerns. We should be able to communicate amicably to find the best path forward for all involved,” he added.
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