Stakeholder Engagement Key in GRA–Freight Forwarders Dispute -Charles McCarthy
Managing Editor of the Hawk Newspaper Charles McCarthy, has stressed that the ongoing issues between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and freight stakeholders stem from inadequate engagement.
Speaking on the matter on Kessben Maakye today, McCarthy argued that effective stakeholder consultation is critical to policy implementation, warning that any attempt to impose decisions without proper dialogue undermines trust and cooperation.
“The issue between GRA and the coalition is a matter of improper stakeholder engagement,” he noted. “You cannot implement a policy without first engaging the very stakeholders affected by it.”
He questioned the rationale behind what he described as predetermined engagements, suggesting that consultations lose their value if outcomes are already decided beforehand.
“If you predetermine the outcome of a supposed engagement, why then do you even start it at all?” he asked, adding that such an approach weakens transparency and accountability.
McCarthy also expressed concern over remarks attributed to GRA official Dr. Akwasi Sarpong, saying they will not take onboard what the stakeholders are saying, describing it as “alarming” if authorities choose not to consider input from industry players.
On trade pricing, he explained that it is impractical to impose uniform pricing across all goods, noting that negotiations, bargaining power, and country of origin significantly influence pricing structures.
“You cannot have a universal price for all goods. Several factors come into play, including negotiations and origin of the product,” he said.
Touching on broader political discourse, McCarthy called for decency and accountability, particularly condemning the manipulation of images and defamatory content in Ghana’s political space.
He criticized Baba Amando’s recent incidents involving altered images of the President, insisting such acts go beyond free speech and amount to defamation.
“This is not freedom of speech; it is outright irresponsibility,” he stated, urging the NPP leaders to denounce such conduct and discourage supporters from engaging in it.
McCarthy further called for a shift toward issue-based politics and a sanitization of the country’s political environment, warning that failure to address such behavior could deepen divisions and erode public trust.
He concluded by urging all stakeholders, including political parties and state institutions, to act responsibly and uphold standards that promote constructive national dialogue.
