'Make paperless services a success’ - Ahomka-Lindsay

Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Robert Ahomka-Lindsay, has charged personnel of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) division and other key stakeholders in critical operational areas to play a leading role in the provision of single window and e-solution services in Africa.

This, according to him, will go a long way to promote trade facilitation and revenue mobilisation in Africa, stressing that the single-window platform was a win-win for all stakeholders, as it helps to simplify port operations and transactions.

Speaking at the closing session of the sixth International Single-Window Conference and Exhibition yesterday in Accra, Mr. Ahomka-Lindsay stressed the need for the customs personnel at the ports, boarders and critical operational areas to support the implementation of the paperless port project and single window concepts.

He touched on the implementation of the paperless port project initiated by the current administration to address the issue of revenue leakages at the ports.

He urged African countries which signed onto the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) to embrace the single window and e-solution services.

Mr. Ahomka-Lindsay stated that a single-window was feasible if attention was paid to critical factors in its implementation such as the political will, the legal framework, technical issues, business model and stakeholder coordination.

In January 2017, according to him, Ghana signed onto the Trade Facilitation Agreement which seeks to make cross-border trade across the globe much easier.