GRA hails positive contribution of ICUMS to trade facilitation, revenue mobilization

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) says the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) has significantly transformed the country's trade facilitation landscape and revenue mobilization.

GRA says the system has succeeded in eliminating the multiple routes prior to payment of duties, ensuring seamless processes, increasing revenue, speedy processing of pre-manifest declaration, and undertaking classification and valuation in the same system, among others.

The success of ICUMS has been attributed to the decentralization of clearance processes from the Customs Technical Services Bureau.

Due to this, GRA exceeded its revenue target in August and November 2020 from the ports despite the negative impact of the coronavirus on the global shipping business.

Assistant Commissioner of Customs in charge of the Accra Sector Command, Mr. Emmanuel Ohene said an amount of GH¢1.2 billion was realized monthly since the introduction of ICUMS.

“Tema collection in this month of November has exceeded its target. In August, ICUMS was responsible for the revenue target being exceeded,” he added.

Mr Ohene, who is also the chairman of the implementation team of ICUMS, revealed that the initial delay that users of the system faced when processing bills of entry, for example, is now a thing of the past.

He said ICUMS simplified the previous Pre-Arrival Assessment Reporting System (PAARS) and will ensure that classification and valuation are done through the ICUMS with a customs supervisor, who quickly verified documents and generated a tax bill.