RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/PSI/WP/W/3
26May1997
ORGANIZATION(97-2202)
Original: English Working Party onPreshipment Inspection
NATIONAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE AGREEMENT ONPRESHIPMENT INSPECTION
Submission byGhana
Thefollowing communication, dated 22May1997, hasbeenreceived from thePermanent
Mission ofGhana.
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InGhana'sviewpreshipmentinspectionisanessentialinstrumentto(i)improvetheeffectiveness
ofcustomsrevenuecollectionandthemanagementofcustomsoperationsingeneral,(ii)ensureconsumer
protection including forhealth andsecurity purposes and(iii)facilitate themonitoring ofimport support
donor funds aswellasthedevelopment oftrade statistics.
Theeconomy ofGhana, likethatofothersmall developing countries, depends heavily onimport
duties. Wearetherefore concerned about international trade-related fraudulent practices which could
deprive usoftaxrevenue anddeplete ourforeign exchange resources. Furthermore wealsohavethe
responsibility toimplement national technical regulations andstandards including consumer safety and
security requirements, andtoexpedite theclearance ofimported goods through customs, without the
detailed 100percentinspection ofgoods.
Thepreshipment inspection facility isavitaltooltosupplement theactivities ofourcustoms
authorities inaddressing theseimport andcustoms issues. Preshipment inspection services areshowing
results, byhelping Ghana toassess import duties andtaxes, toaddress misdeclarations and
misclassifications, aswellastofacilitate transparent andrapid clearance ofimported goods, among
others.
Werecognize thattheAgreement establishes rulesfortheregulation ofpreshipment inspection
activities, andprovides anappropriate mechanism foraddressing anymisunderstandings and
disagreements. Weconsider asuseful theappeal process under which preshipment inspection officials
areobliged toexamine anyexporters 'grievances andthenifdissatisfied, theexporter mayreferthe
casetotheIndependent Entity. Wecontinue tohavefaithinthisprovision, andcaution against any
attempts tointroduce other extraneous provisions inthename ofdispute settlement.
TheAgreement alsodefines theobligations ofpreshipment usercountries andthatofthe
preshipment inspection entities. WeinGhana accept theobligations ofusercountries, andhave
accordingly undertaken allnecessary measures toensure thatpreshipment inspection entities respect
andabide bytherelevant provisions oftheAgreement. Wehavenocause tobelieve thatourpreshipment
inspection entities arebehaving otherwise. Wetherefore urgealldelegations toexercise restraint,
andtoensure thatnothing isdonetothisAgreement which could impose additional burden andconstraint
onpreshipment inspection usercountries.
./.G/PSI/WP/W/3
Page2
Asregards theAgreement onPreshipment Inspection specifically webelieve thatitprovides
asound basistoensure theapplication ofpreshipment inspection activities inatransparent, fair,open
andcooperative manner without undue constraints onweaker countries which arerelatively more
vulnerable tointernational tradefrauds. Ghana istherefore fullycommitted tothefullimplementation
oftheAgreement. Itisourexperience thattheprovisions oftheAgreement onPreshipment Inspection
havebeentaken veryseriously bypreshipment inspection entities operating inGhana, whohavetaken
thenecessary steps toadopt theagreed preshipment inspection procedures, toensure compliance.
Onpriceverification Ghana believes thatherrighttoseekderogations regarding theAgreement
onCustoms Valuation should berespected. Ourpreshipment inspection entities havetofollow our
national applicable definition ofvalue forcustoms purposes. Wedonotexpect theAgreement on
Preshipment Inspection toprescribe anydefinitions which maynotbeinconsonance withGhana 's
accepted international obligations.
Oneareaofconcern tousisthatmany oftheAgreement 'sprovisions (e.g.non-discrimination,
prohibition tousearbitrary orfactitious prices, protection ofconfidential business information) are
generic. Their compliance mayonlybeeffectively determined onthebasisofverifiable realgrievances.
Totaketheexample ofdiscrimination, itisnormal foranypartyeffected bydiscrimination tocomplain,
andtheAgreement onPreshipment Inspection should benoexception. Itisnotpossible, however,
toenforce non-discrimination unless thedetails ofparticular complaints areprovided andinvestigated.
Inthisregard wereaffirm ourfaithintheappeal process which hasbeenestablished under theAgreement
onPreshipment Inspection; thisdouble appeal process should adequately address exporters 'concerns
about possible grievances.
Inconclusion wewish toemphasize again theimportance thatGhana attaches tothe
implementation oftheAgreement onPreshipment Inspection andinparticular toitsprovisions which
allow transparent, prompt andfactual resolution ofdisputes. Inreviewing theAgreement, taking into
account theexperience gained initsoperation, thediscussion should beguided notbyvague orotherwise
unsupported accusations butrather byspecific cases andverifiable experience. Anypossible changes
totheAgreement should therefore follow acareful examination ofthefactsontheground inorder
tosatisfy allparties thatthere isreally merit inintroducing anychanges tothisnewagreement, most
ofwhose provisions havenotreally beentested. Thisisavaluable agreement which allparties should
support andpromote, through itsteething stages.