CRONYISM IN BOND EXECUTION: Minister Orders Customs To Deal With Only 3 Insurance Firms

Commissioner of Customs, Charles Anson on Monday 10 September 2018 in Accra signed executive Order to limit the number of insurance companies to manage bond in customs operations to three.

The Executive Order also prohibits the Customs from giving contracts to indigenous companies whose expertise are readily available.

‘Following a directive from the Minister of Finance and subsequent approval of same by the Commissioner General, you are requested to take the necessary steps to deal with only these three Insurance Companies in relation to Bonds to be undertaken by importers:

Enterprise Insurance Company Limited
Star Assurance Company Limited
State Insurance Company Limited.

According to the memorandum, ‘this directive has become necessary because of the need for the Authority to be dealing with robust, reputable and credible Insurance Companies to guarantee the payment of taxes and duties due the State’.

The directive came into force yesterday 17 September 2018. ‘This directive is effective Monday 17^th September 2018. You are hereby expected to comply accordingly, the command said.

But finance and human rights activist, has insisted that Ken Ofori Atta’s selections are lopsided.

The Kumasi Based activist maintained that Akufo-Addo gave, “critical positions” in his government to his “region, friends and people of his religion and lineage.”

According to Osman Mohammed, “As far back as 2017 from the portfolios of the ministerial appointments, to Commissioners, Judges, Governors of Banks, Security Chiefs and many other appointments, complaints have come from the marginalized belt that President Nana Addo gave the critical positions to his region, relatives, friends and people of his religion.

“It is therefore irrelevant and untrue for the presidency or the president’s media people to attempt to lie to Ghanaians and the world in saying that his appointments, so far, are not lopsided.

“Anyway, if it makes them feel better by telling themselves those lies, that is okay. We know what we know.”