Paperless port processes to be rolled out in September - Government

Government has pledged its commitment to roll-out the much talked about paperless process at the country’s main ports, come September 1, adding that it is no more an idea, neither a system merely undergoing simulation.

The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), its Customs Division, GCNET and West Blue Consulting, among others, have indicated their readiness to roll out the system at the country’s ports.

The paperless regime is expected to minimise human interference, eliminate delays and inject efficiency in cargo clearance.

Mr Kofi Nti, the Commissioner-General of GRA, at a forum organised in Accra to sensitise stakeholders on the processes, said it was an actual system being piloted and with the assured capability and capacity, it would be fully implemented come September 1.

He said admittedly, ports all over the world measured their output using set key indicators and the Ghanaian ports were no exception to this international best practice.

He said management of the GRA and its partners sought to actualise that through a three-point policy directive aimed at improving efficiency at the various ports.

Mr Nti said the policy positions were joint examinations by all agencies at the ports to help eliminate customs internal barriers and simplify the numerous processes and engagements to avoid bureaucracy, frustration and corruption, reduce delays and present genuine documentation.

He called on users of the systems to be cooperative and the systems administrators to fine tune the processes.

Mr Nti said the GRA was still pursuing the modernisation process, which was started in the early 2009, adding that it s focus was still on the maximisation and protection of state revenue, accounting for it, and facilitating international trade.

“We have and are ready to collaborate with all our strategic stakeholders to develop the best revenue and trade enhancing systems that will put Ghana at the forefront of the continent’s desire to catch up with the rest of the world in the area of technological advancement,” he said