West blue launches E-Zone

The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and its IT partner-West Blue Consulting have commissioned two electronic zone facilities at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), and Tema port.

The E-zone facilities which were set up as part of the Ghana National Single Window (GNSW) project will provide 24/7 customer services to exporters and importers in the country.

The E-zone which is as part of the one year anniversary of the Ghana National Single Window will offer face to face personalize service to the trading community such us payment, knowledge centres and self-service terminals.

The facility will have three major functions which are Customer Service Centre, A Walk-in self-service and E-payment service point.

The CEO of West blue consult, Valentina Mintah said the Ghana National Single Window reform program is a journey which has been successfully achieved by true collaboration of government and businesses.

“The Ghana national single window reformed program as we all know is a journey, a journey successfully achieved by true collaboration of government and business, government and government and business and business.

We can also add another level of collaboration, country to country.

And we have experienced this where the Ghana’s trade information portal which can be found at www.ghanastradinghub.gov.gh is achieving up to 10,000 hits per month including views from our trading partners including Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, Ukraine etc.,” she stated.

The Commissioner of Customs Division said the establishment of the E-ZONE facility at the Kotoka International Airport is an improvement of client service delivery and most importantly give tax payers a user friendly avenue for tax administration.

“The establishment of the e-zone facility at the Kotoka international airport with the state of art facilities such as payment points, self-service terminals, regulatory agency enquiry point, and multimedia trade information points among other online portals is yet another initiative for the improvement of service delivery and most importantly to give tax payers a user friendly avenue for tax administration,” he said.

The Deputy Minister for Finance, Mona Quartey said with the provision of electronic systems, the cost of doing business has reduced and traders go about their businesses in a friendly manner.

She said the national single window has improved trade facilitation and led to an increase in government’s revenue.

“The national single window journey is bringing together all parts of the global trade business that before was scattered or fragmented now its harmonized. Doing business in Ghana will now be easier, the cost of doing business will now be easier and there is no doubt that once trade is facilitated, revenue will improve and this is important for national development,” she averred.

The Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Murtala Mohamed noted that the single window being implemented by government is the surest way of reducing the cost and time of doing business at the ports.

“With this e-zone implementation, it will help to reduce the time spent in having our goods cleared in the port by 15% and the overall reduction in the administrative time and cost of trading internationally by 50% and 25% respectively.

This will have a dramatic impact on two increase trade, a dramatic impact on ability to compete internationally, and will direct economic impact through increase trade as well as our economic development and employment,” he said.