The Ghana Shippers' Authority (GSA) has been awarded a Certificate of Merit on International Customs Day by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA). The award is in recognition of the exceptional services provided and commitment to promoting and safeguarding the interests of shippers and stakeholders in the shipping and logistics industry. It also signifies the critical contribution of the GSA to the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in achieving its revenue target for the year ending 2023. The GSA received the recognition on the International Customs Day event on the theme: 'Customs Engaging Traditional and New Partners with Purpose', which brought together industry players to review their performance and ways to improve the operations of the Customs Division of the GRA. Mr. Kwesi Baffour Okyere Sarpong, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), GSA, highlighted the importance of partnerships between key State agencies and the private sector for the development of the Shipping Sector. He reiterated his commitment to strengthening the existing partnerships between the GSA and the Customs Division of the GRA to serve the interests of shippers. He said: 'The collaborative approach signalled by Customs is essential in cultivating an environment that not only supports, but enhances the efficiency, security, and evolving trend of domestic and international trade.' 'For us at the GSA, any endeavours that facilitate, enable, or enhances the business of the private sector, particularly importers, exporters, and transiters whom we call shippers, is very heartwarming,' he added. In a speech read on behalf of Mr. Ian Saunders, World Customs Organization's (WCO) Secretary-General, the Commissioner of the Customs Division of the GRA, Alhaji Iddrisu Iddisah Seidu, stated that the WCO intended to establish new partnerships with financial and environmental-based institutions, as well as the academia, with the aim of aligning all partnerships with the overarching focus on the value of customs. Presentations were made on relevant topics by Mrs. Abena Serwaa Opoku-Fosu, Head of Marketing and Public Affairs at the Tema Port, Mr. Divine Agbeko, Head of Policy and Programmes and Mr. Baffour Yaw Asare, Former Deputy Commissioner of Operations, Customs Division of the GRA. Source: Ghana News Agency