DOS
- Importers must register and obtain their TIN from the Registrar’s General Department
- Importers can submit their cargo clearance documents (bill of lading, commercial invoice and packing list) well in advance of the arrival of the vessel carrying their goods.
- Importers should ensure that the Bill of Lading has the exact information on the goods.
- Documents that importers must submit to their clearing and forwarding agents during the clearance process are: the original Bills of Lading, the Commercial Invoice and the Packing List.
- Importers can register on Ghana’s Trading Hub Portal (www.ghanastradinghub.gov.gh) under Stakeholder Registration and make payments for import licenses, regulatory permits and certificates covering the goods electronically via Ghana’s Trading Hub Portal using Mobile Money, Electronic Payment Cards (Visa; Gh-Link) or via online banking.
- Importers must ensure that all required import licenses, regulatory permits and certificates are obtained before the arrival of the goods at the port.
- Importers must ensure that their goods are correctly described on all their licenses, permits, certificates and other documentation.
- Importers should fully disclose all information on the goods, such as the quantity of goods to their clearing and forwarding agents.
- Importers should ensure that their funds for duties, taxes, shipping line and terminal payments are secured in advance before the arrival of their goods to help avoid/lessen demurrage and rent payments.
DON’TS
- Importers should not use house bills of lading for un-manifested cargo.Intheeventofan un-manifested cargo correction, it must be done on the original Bill of Lading before it can be effected on a house bill of lading.
- Importers should not present falsified documents; those who fail to comply with this directive will have strict sanctions imposed on them. This will be a 2-strike rule of first, a punitive fine and second, a complete ban.
NOTES
- Importers should get their clearing and forwarding agents to take advantage of the 24 hour nature of the Paperless Clearance System to carry out their cargo clearance processes.
- Importers should take note of the fact that the Paperless system has a Post Clearance Review part which allows GRA (Customs) to contact them in the event of any non-compliance with regards to the statutory processes governing the Tax and Customs Clearance processes in Ghana.
