ICUMS/UNIPASS introduction aligns with AfCFTA trade facilitation – Alan Kyeremanten

Minister for Trade and Industry has touted the application of the new single window system at the ports, the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) as one that would facilitate Ghana’s trade regime ahead of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) implementation.

According to Alan Kyeremanten, the AfCFTA requires Ghana to have a system that manages trade facilitation that can be benchmarked with global best practices.

He was speaking at a forum organised by the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) sector of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority at the Terminal 3.

Addressing stakeholders, the minister said, “With the introduction of the AfCFTA, the introduction of UNIPASS/ICUM becomes even more imperative because Ghana can legitimately be considered as the commercial capital of doing business”

“An effective trade facilitation and customs management system like that of UNIPASS/ICUMS reduces the cost of doing business and makes companies more competitive. If Ghana wants to become a trade and investment destination of choice in the West Africa sub-region and the continent as a whole, it needs a trade facilitation system that is attractive and supportive of doing business,” he explained.

He added the implementation of the UNIPASS/ICUMS system at the ports despite some teething issues has significantly improved Ghana’s port revenue mobilization efforts.

In June of this year, the Terminal Three of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), has yielded a total revenue of GH¢55.4 million as a result of the single window system, UNIPASS/ICUMS.

According to data available, this represents a 20 percent increment over last year’s revenue performance for June, which was about GH¢46 million.

UNIPASS/ICUMS Background

Effective June 1, 2020, all transactions related to the import and export of goods at the various ports started to be conducted through ICUMS, ending the operations of GCNet and West Blue Consulting.

The system, deployed by Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), replaced the Ghana Customs Management System (GCMS).

ICUMS is a system built by Universal Pass (UNI-PASS), specially tailored to Ghana’s situation and provides an end-to-end supply chain solution that incorporates and consolidates existing systems currently in operation.

Ghana Link Services Limited, which has a 10-year contract with the Government, as a technical partner, contracted CUPIA of Korea to deploy its electronic customs management system, called Universal Pass (UNI-PASS) now known as the Integrated Customs Management System ICUMS, for Ghana’s trade facilitation.