Vice President of the policy think-tank IMANI-Africa, Bright Simons, has voiced concerns about a $40 million agreement related to cargo tracking at the ports.

This deal has left various stakeholders in a state of apparent unease. The government agencies involved include the Ghana Revenue Authority, Ghana Shippers Authority, the Ministry of Ports, and the Ministry of Trade, among others.

Simons' disclosure follows a Finance Ministry statement denouncing the authenticity of a circulating letter titled "Re-enhancing Shipping Data Collection and Management in Ghana through Smart Port and Electronic Cargo Tracking," which purportedly originated from the Finance Ministry.

Bright Simons said: “A deal estimated to be worth about $40m a year has all manner of govt bigshots throwing blows at each other. GRA, Ghana Shippers Authority, Ports, Trade Ministry, etc. Finally, the boss of bosses, Finance Ministry, has stepped in to declare one spunky contractor as fraudulent!”

Expounding on the nooks and crannies of the matter, Bright Simons, said the company that claims to have been validated by the government is a “mysterious entity”.

“The company that claims to have been mandated by Ghana to validate all cargo imports & which the Finance Ministry accuse of fraud & fakery, is a mysterious entity called Antaser, with a string of aliases across Africa (TPMS, BBVA, etc). Its adventures deserve Holywood treatment,” he said.

The Finance Ministry said the said letter noted that from September 15, 2023, all shipments to Ghana, including transit shipments are required to obtain an Electronic Cargo Transit number (ECTN/SPN) and submit it to Antaser Afrique BVBA for verification.

Shippers and stakeholders should be aware that the letter and its contents are fraudulent and ought to be disregarded, according to the Ministry.

The finance ministry thanked shipping agents and other interested parties for prompting them about the alleged letter in a statement released on October 31, 2023, and promised to notify the public of any new tax policies the government may be planning.

“We thank all stakeholders who alerted us and made enquiries and wish to assure them that, as is done with all policies, extensive consultation will be done with relevant stakeholders whenever the government wishes to introduce a new policy or tax,” parts of the statement read.