Ghana's customs administration has embarked on a transformative modernization path, but not without facing significant challenges. Issues such as inadequate stakeholder communication, lagging human resource management, and insufficient strategic planning execution have posed hurdles. Against this backdrop, the collaboration between the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) through the WCO-WACAM project aims to inject new vitality into Ghana's customs operations.
Project Overview: WCO-WACAM as a Catalyst for Ghana Customs Modernization
The WCO-WACAM project, funded by Sweden and led by the World Customs Organization, was launched in 2015 to support customs capacity building in West and Central Africa. The initiative provides technical assistance, capacity development, and best practice sharing to enhance efficiency, transparency, and compliance among member customs administrations. With a focus on stakeholder engagement, human resource management, and strategic management, the project seeks to facilitate regional trade and economic growth.
Progress Assessment: Significant Achievements with Room for Growth
From March 15-17, 2016, the WCO conducted a supervisory evaluation of the support provided to GRA under the WCO-WACAM project framework. The assessment, conducted in Accra, examined progress made since May 2015 across key areas. Results indicated substantial advancements, laying a solid foundation for Ghana's customs modernization.
Key Achievement 1: Enhanced Stakeholder Engagement
The evaluation highlighted GRA's success in improving stakeholder participation. Through regular consultations at the Kotoka International Airport Joint Consultative Committee, GRA established consistent communication channels. Notably, committee members innovatively leveraged social media platforms to create efficient information-sharing and problem-solving mechanisms. This approach significantly improved operational issue resolution and ensured smoother airport operations.
GRA's stakeholder engagement improvements include:
- Establishing regular communication mechanisms through scheduled committee meetings
- Creating dedicated social media groups for rapid information exchange
- Implementing responsive systems to address stakeholder concerns promptly
Key Achievement 2: Human Resource Management Reforms
GRA has initiated preliminary modernization efforts in human resource management, though acknowledges the need for continued WCO-WACAM support. Priority areas include developing competency-based HR policies, processes, and tools aligned with WCO's Customs Professional Framework principles. These reforms aim to build a sustainable talent management system to support customs development.
Current HR initiatives involve:
- Launching HR modernization projects to improve efficiency
- Developing competency-based recruitment, training, and evaluation systems
- Seeking WCO technical assistance for comprehensive reform roadmaps
Key Achievement 3: Strategic Management Development
While making progress in strategic planning, GRA seeks WCO collaboration to develop its next strategic plan and strengthen project management capabilities. The authority aims to enhance planning methodology and establish robust implementation frameworks to ensure strategic objectives are achieved.
Strategic management priorities include:
- Co-developing future strategic plans with WCO technical support
- Strengthening project management capacity through specialized training
- Establishing monitoring systems for effective strategy implementation
Future Directions: WCO Recommendations for Continued Progress
Based on the evaluation, WCO provided recommendations to deepen 2016 collaboration, focusing on:
- Enhancing stakeholder engagement mechanisms
- Accelerating HR management reforms
- Strengthening strategic planning and execution capabilities
The WCO-WACAM project has enabled GRA to make significant strides in customs modernization. Continued partnership promises to further advance Ghana's trade facilitation and economic development through improved customs administration.