Sunday, 15 November 2009

Ghanaian Efficiency

We appoint "Magic" as our Company Secretary to assist us in all aspects of business setting up like opening of bank account, registration with Internal Revenue Services (Income Tax) and SSNIT (EPF).
We are in need to pass a new resolution to alter the authorised signatory for our bank account and Magic's service is needed. The instruction is quite straight forward; to supersede the current one with a new arrangement. What are needed shall be advised by Magic as the case may be since he is a local Ghanaian and being in his profession for many year. His name card says: "Name, C.A.(GH)". I supposed that stands for Chartered Accountant.
On the eventual day, I waited at the bank for one and a half hour. I was actually early for one hour so Magic was late for 30 minutes. He brought along FOUR LETTERS for the ONE ISSUE, without using our company's letter head AND without taking along with him the Signature Specimen Form. The letters did not spell out any thing regarding the change and the limit for each signatory criteria. When I questioned him, he was fast to defend himself without even looking at the letters; citing our instruction was not clear, we had last minute alteration, so on and so forth.
I calmly asked him if his letters are ok and we wanted to proceed with the changing of signatory, could we get the job done?
He couldn't answer cos' he didn't actually realise what I meant?
I had to explain in plain simple English, short of using their local language that we couldn't proceed with the matter because he did not bring the Form. Then he had to rush back to office to get the Form and I had to write the letter for him.
On his return with the Form and my letter, we were only told by the bank that we need to produce Identifications of the Signatories and their Photos.
Good job Magic, you have really proved to me that people are all so right about the Ghanaian - lack of punctuality, no sense of responsibility, quick to throw the blame to others, fond of getting easy money with minimum or zero input, dislike people to point out their mistakes, so on and so forth.
Anyone who wishes to do business in Ghana, please undergo training of holding down your temper and elongate your patience, and try to negotiate for all the time you can have in the world when you deal with Ghanaian. Amen!

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