Second Ghana National Single Window conference held

The second Ghana National Single Window conference has been held in Accra.

The conference was organised by the technical support providers for the customs division of the GRA, West Blue Consulting and in collaboration with the International Chamber of Commerce and the Customs Division of the GRA and its stakeholders, was aimed at sharing experiences and best practices of the single window and trade facilitation projects.

The conference brought together experts in trade facilitation such as Dr. Sumnuk Keretho, Director, and institute for IT innovation, Thailand, Tom Butterly, International trade facilitation expert. Alan Kyeremanteng, Ghana’s Minister of Trade and Industry was present with his Deputy Carlos Ahenkora, Deputy Minister of Transport and Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism, Daniel Titus Glover, Emmanuel Doni-Kwame, MD of World Trade Center Accra among, Alhaji Asuma Banda, Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce, Ghana and the Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Mukhisa Kituyi among many other dignitaries.

The Chief Executive Officer of West Blue Consulting said the Ghana National Single window which began in December 2015 has made some tremendous progress by significantly reducing the time and cost of doing business in Ghana.

The Commissioner of Customs division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Isaac Crentsil assured businesses and the trading public, that his outfit will ensure reduction in the time and cost of doing business at the Ghana’s Ports

Other speakers at the two day conference declared that single window remained a major trade facilitation agreement requirement in helping countries reduce business cost as well as time and further maximize revenue.

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyeremanteng who was the key note speaker at the conference said Ghana is very much committed to trade facilitation considering the barrage of proposed state policies all geared at empowering the private sector to support the state to expand the national economy.

He said, the government of Ghana is seriously considering all options that will promote ease of doing business in Ghana.

The Chairman of the Conference, who incidentally is the Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce and Meridian Port Services charged government and stakeholders to embrace the National Single Window System since it’s been tried and tested by most advanced nations who have high rate of ease in doing business like Singapore, Netherlands, Malaysia and so on.

Speaker after speaker expressed optimism that if Ghana effectively implement the Ghana National Single Window, the end user who in this case is the importer or exporter, the trading and general publics will be the ultimate beneficiary as it will promote transparency and enhance government revenue mobilisation through increased compliance by various actors within the trade processes.