GCnet trains agents ahead of port paperless operations

The Ghana Community Network Services Limited (GCnet), systems management consultant, has begun a series of training and sensitization workshops for stakeholders ahead of the paperless port operations which starts on September first.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of a three-day workshop for ports agents in Tema, Mr Agyarku Nkansah, Deputy Manager, GCnet, said his outfit was well programmed to lead and guide the paperless regime.

He said tailor made crack cyber and software programming and protocols have been put in place to ensure that the paperless process would be user friendly to achieve the objectives of government.

According to him, the security system ringed around GCnet operations were ISO certified” and that we are sure that it would survive any form of hacking and fraud.”

He said: “We have not had any form of external cyber interference in our 15 years of operations due to our stringent systems which are very reliable.”

According to Mr Nkansah, although entries would be done electronically, an importer or his agent would have to produce hard copies of a bill of lading and a weigh bill to complete the process.

On the perception and reality of delays at the ports, he said although the GCnet system had some challenges due to the inability Telecommunication companies to guarantee constant internet access, it cannot be blamed for the slowdown of business.

Mr Nkansah opined that some importers, agents and even some shipping lines sometimes do not cooperate along the chain hence the attraction of queries from Customs and other inspectors resulting in delays.