The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) has announced that processing time for visa-on-arrival (V-O-A) services will be reduced to 48 hours effective June this year as part of measures to attract investors into the country.
A Deputy Comptroller General of Operations, GIS, Laud Ofori-Afrifa who made the disclosure said plans were also afoot to link information obtained by the GIS with other stakeholder agencies to allow for ease in doing business.
“We plan to automate the V-O-A services and link data electronically with institutions like the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), the Free Zone Board, and the Registrar Generals Department to reduce processing time of permits and expedite checks on company records among others,” he stated.
Mr Ofori-Afrifa was speaking at the annual Economic Counsellors’ Dialogue in Accra yesterday, which had the theme; “Improving the Ease of Doing Business in Ghana: Immigration laws, Technology Transfer Agreements and Double Taxation Agreements”.
The event aimed at creating an opportunity for members of the diplomatic corps to dialogue on improving the business and investment climate in the country.
Currently, it took a minimum of seven days for the GIS to issue emergency entry visas to foreigners who wish to enter or transit through Ghana for business activities.
Delays in processing time of applications is reportedly compounded by manual processes of reviewing documents of travellers including tax clearance certificate, audited accounts, bank statements, certificate of commencement of business, company’s regulations among others.
However, the Deputy Comptroller believed the coming into effect of the Secure Border Management System (SBMS) to regulate passenger inflow into the country and the Visa Management System (VMS) to standardise manual processes of issuing visas, should create a much congenial environment for business to thrive.
He mentioned other interventions including a possible review of Ghana’s immigrations laws and the introduction of temporary work permits to allow for foreigners to conduct specific duties within short timelines, to encourage investors into the country.
Mr Ofori-Afrifa pledged the GIS commitment to improve its services and operate within acceptable standards to promote direct and indirect investments into the country.
The Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration (MFARI), Ambassador Albert Yankey, in an address on behalf of the sector Minister, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, stated that the relevance of the dialogue was to improve Ghana’s bilateral relations to drive economic growth.
He urged for stronger partnership between government and the private sector to uphold investor confidence and ensure mutual benefit of both parties.
Naa Lamle Orleans-Lindsay, Head of Legal Division of the GIPC in a presentation expressed her outfit’s determination to enforce the Technology Transfer Agreements (TTA) between parent companies abroad and their local counterparts.
The initiative would allow for local entities with external relationship to register some of their services with the GIPC to check the legal transfer of funds.
Assistant Commissioner, Legal Affairs and Treaties, of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr Eric Mensah, also charged foreign investors to comply to tax agreements to operate a stable business environment.
By Abigail Annoh
