Some freight forwarders and clearing agents at the Tema Port say they do not fully understand the paperless system which became operational on Friday, September 1, 2017.
Scores of clearing agents were seen loitering at the facility when BUSINESS GUIDE visited the Long Room of Customs at the Tema Port yesterday.
It would be recalled that before the system was implemented, all agencies operating at the country’s ports, including Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), GCNet, West Blue Consulting, Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Ghana Shippers’ Authority, embarked on several sensitization programmes to educate importers and freight forwarders on the changes that have been made to the system.
Information Technology Systems providers for the paperless system, West Blue Consulting Limited and Ghana Community Network Services (GCNet) also educated freight forwarders, exporters and importers extensively.
All illegitimate freight forwarders and clearing agents were also asked to register with recognized and registered clearing or freight forwarding agencies in order to fully take advantage of the automated clearing procedures at the ports.
Interestingly, some agents were seen queuing at the Long Room where they work on documents.
The Customs Tema Sector commander and some of his officials quickly moved in to provide some education for the agents.
Some of the agents, who spoke to BUSINESS GUIDE, expressed mixed feelings over the new system while others said the system was a bit slow.
General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Affairs of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Esther Gyebi-Donkor, stressed that the Authority would fine-tune the system in the coming days.
She was optimistic authorities at the port and implementing agencies would undertake a lot of education to ensure the success of the paperless system.
From Vincent Kubi, Tema