Consumers to pay more following delay in UNIPASS implementation – GIFF cautions

Consumers across the country should be prepared to pay more for goods and services following any delay in the clearing imports with the rolling out of the new single-window system; UNIPASS at selected ports of entry, starting today, March 2.

This is according to the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) which has opposed the new single-window operators; UNIPASS which is set to replace the work of GCNET and West Blue Consortium at the ports.

President of the GIFF, Eddie Akrong speaking to reporters explained that the inability of members to get accustomed to the new system will adversely lead to a major drawback in the rollout of the system.

Mr. Akrong cited inadequate education and sensitization on the new system as a possibility of incurring huge cost in demurrages to be paid to shipping lines should the single window system ever experience a breakdown.

“This is technology we’re talking about and if you shut it down today, what happens? everything is stuck and as for those who are involved in this chain, they will be laughing all the way to the bank because if you’re thinking about the shipping lines, they don’t care because at the end of the day, if you delay them for three-five days to a week, they’re still going to charge their demurrages for the containers and that is going to be the cost on us freight forwarders and the importing public. Now that cost is going to be on the trader and transferred to us consumers,” Akrong explained.

“The managers of the port are not going to stop charging their rent so please let’s tarry for a while,” he stressed.

Importers and clearing agents across the country have expressed their displeasure at government’s decision to hand over the single window port operations to Ghana Link and its overseas partner, CUPIA Korea; UNIPASS

According to them, the move by government will create chaos at the ports and also erode all the gains chalked by the introduction of the paperless port system back in 2017.

Earlier, Senior Minister, Osafo-Maafo in a letter dated 26th February 2020, directed Freight Forwarders, Clearing Agents and other stakeholders in the country, to use the UNIPASS system to clear their goods from Sunday, March 1, 2020.

However, the stakeholders have warned that this decision will cause serious problems for government and all stakeholders, explaining that the UNIPASS system is untested and therefore cannot run single window at the ports.