A section of the participants.
The implementation of government’s much-touted paperless policy started on Friday at the country’s ports to lessen the plight of the various stakeholders.
On Thursday, over 1,000 importers, exporters and freight forwarders were educated on the policy in Tema for the second time.
Commissioner of Customs, Isaac Crentsil, called on importers and exporters to ensure compliance to make the implementation of the paperless system at the Takoradi and Tema Ports successful.
“The paperless system is going to help us to ensure efficiency at the ports. There are so many potentials in this system that we are introducing and one of them is to simplify and harmonize the bureaucracies that exist at the ports to fight against frustration and corruption.
“This paperless system is going to deal with delay. It’s another way of rewarding clients who are willing to comply with the system and this paperless system is going to help customs in compliance,” the Commissioner mentioned.
He disclosed that those who fail to comply with the paperless system would be penalised severely.
“As you move onto the new system of paperless, let us all be compliant traders, compliant declarant and compliant terminal operators so that the system will serve us,” he stressed.
The participants obtained first-hand information about the roles of Ghana Community Network Services Limited (GCNet), Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), West Blue Consortium and Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in the implementation of the paperless system.
“The commission is aware of the behavior of some clearing agents who are calling for more education just to delay the implementation,” Mr. Crentsil disclosed.
The policy is aimed at reducing corrupt practices at the ports, simplifying the numerous port processes and engagements.
Aminu Uthman, General Manager, West Blue Consortium, noted that nothing new has changed in the old system being used by the clearing agents, except the removal of names of compliance officers from the system.
He expressed concern about the growing number of unregistered declarants who operate without computers or any form of electronic systems.
Such operations, he stated, pose challenges to the full implementation of the paperless system and therefore clearing agents must open offices, deploy computers and hire qualified persons to work for them where necessary. You cannot do business without adhering to the rules that go with it.”
On his part, Agyaku Nkansa, Deputy Manager, GCNet, during his presentation, expressed optimistic that the new system would simplify operations at the ports.
According to him, “It is going to be very simple for clearing agents because they will no longer go to terminals to make request for the positioning of containers but do that online.”
Esther Gyebi Donkor, General Manager in-charge of Marketing and Corporate Affairs at GPHA, said her outfit would work along with other stakeholders to eliminate the old declaration forms for the successful implementation of the new system.
From Vincent Kubi, Tema