Over 500 workers from the five Destination Inspection Companies (DICs) whose contracts expire on August 31, 2015, and would not be renewed, have sent an SOS message to the government to ensure that they do not lose their source of livelihood.
The government has entered into an agreement with West Blue Ghana Limited for the takeover of classification, valuation and risk management from the DICs namely BIVAC International, Gateway Services Limited, Inspection and Control Services, Ghana Link Network Services and Webb Fontaine Ghana.
Their mandate is effective September 1, 2015.
That means, the over 500 workers who were engaged in various roles by the five DICs will be out of work after August 31, 2015, a situation they contend, will have a telling effect on their lives, their families, extended dependents and the country as a whole.
In a petition addressed to President John Mahama, the workers are pleading for the number one gentleman of the land to consider a transitional period for the handover to the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
They believe that their request if heard and granted would help absorb them into the new scheme.
Spokesperson for the workers, Carl Sowah, told Kasapafmonline.com that their request was premised on the Tamale Accord where a proposed transitional period for three years which formed the basis for changes and further infrastructural investments worth millions of Cedis was granted and implemented.
According to him, should the government decide otherwise, all the investments they have made into sector would be in vain.
“We believe that during the transition period, a proper needs gap analysis, sensitization and mop up plan would be drawn to ensure a smooth transition and final absorption of the many employees who otherwise would be going home to do nothing rather than an abrupt abrogation. In addition, the about fifteen years of investment and acquisition of skills and knowledge would not just go waste,” noted Mr. Sowah, an employee with Webb Fontaine Ghana.
He said their fear had to do with how to cope with the hardships associated with being unemployed, especially, when confronted with having to pay for medical and insurance covers for their families which their employers have absorbed all these years.
“The stark reality of difficulty in payment of school fees, rent among others cannot be downplayed while being unemployed.”
The workers recalled past reforms like the one from the Border Guard operations to the Preventive wing of the then CEPS, Pre-shipment Inspection to Destination Inspection; Sales Tax regime to the VAT operations where in each case, workers of the previous scheme were smoothly absorbed into the current one.
They are therefore, pleading with the government to do same with the DIC operations in the event of its final cessation.
By: Kasapafmonline.com/Ghana
