Isaac Crentsil
The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) says it has addressed challenges that characterized the start of the paperless transactions at the country’s ports.
According to GRA, it has addressed the challenges to ensure the smooth implementation of the paperless system at the ports.
Last week, staff of the GRA were overwhelmed by documents from the Compliance Unit.
Hundreds of aggrieved freight forwarders protested against the unnecessary delay in the Long Room of the Tema Port.
They said their cargoes attracted demurrage as a result of the breakdown of the systems at the ports.
In an effort to rectify the problems, Customs Division deployed additional officers to work throughout the night during the weekend to clear the backlog of documents to ensure smooth process.
Isaac Crentsil, Commissioner for the Customs Division of the GRA, told Citi FM that his outfit has addressed the challenges.
According to him, “We cleared a lot over the weekend. We are hoping that by today all would have been cleared. The officials at the Tema Port are also around to release the containers. So everyone is working to address last Thursday’s challenges.”
Meanwhile, a visit to the Long Room on Monday afternoon revealed a handful of freight forwarders.
Some freight forwarders told DAILY GUIDE that “it’s true that they have cleared the system and we were able to clear cargos, but the Customs Clearing and Valuation Report (CCVR) delays too much. If they can issue it that same day or within two days, we’ll be fine with the paperless system.”
But the freight forwarders have accused Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) of corruption and imposing additional charges, such as towing fee, hanging charges, tyre fixing charges, among others.
According to them, the move by GPHA was thwarting government’s efforts at implementing the paperless system successfully.
From Vincent Kubi, Tema