Deputy Finance Minister¸ Abena Osei-Asare, has denied allegations in sections of the media that she and her ministry, are deliberately frustrating importers trading at the ports in Ghana.
In other instances, her outfit is accused of clandestinely selling imported products on claims that the owners had delayed in clearing them from the port.
In many instances, the imported products had not overstayed.
Insiders alleged that a clique at the Finance Ministry and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is behind such nefarious activities.
Importers are said to have lost their wares running into millions of Ghana Cedis in the hands of these unscrupulous individuals.
But the Deputy Minister in a press statement, stated that some persons had gone on Accra-based Asempa FM to accuse her of refusing to sign letters restoring some containers to their importers.
She said such allegations are unfounded and called on the public to disregard them.
The deputy Finance Minister, said the challenges some importers are facing are because of the new measures introduced by the Ministry of Finance to ensure transparency in the restoration process of items that have stayed beyond their stipulated time at the port.
But she affirmed that neither she nor officials of the Finance Ministry have committed any wrongdoing.
Below is her press statement
HON DEPUTY MINISTER SET THE RECORDS STRAIGHT on Eko se sen -27th October, 2022
My attention has been drawn to a discussion program on your radio program Eko se sen, in which my name was mentioned as having refused to sign letters restoring some containers to their importers. The manner in which my name was mentioned sought to impute some wrongdoing on my part in this regard.
I write to state for your and your listener’s benefit that while I appreciate the anxiety that people may have over the new measures introduced by the Ministry of Finance to ensure transparency in the restoration process of items that have stayed beyond their stipulated time at the port, there is nothing untoward and the officials at the Finance Ministry are available to explain and answer all queries both general and particular relating to the said process.
In the meantime, I say that I HAVE NOT FAILED, REFUSED OR NEGLECTED TO SIGN ANY LETTER WHICH AFTER HAVING GONE THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO MY OFFICE.
Abena Osei-Asare (MP)
Deputy Finance Minister
