WestBlue picks transparency and innovation and technology awards at Ghana Shippers Awards

WestBlue Consulting, technical partners of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority has added to its achievements after the company bagged two awards at the recently held maiden edition of the Ghana Shippers Awards.

The company was awarded the Anas Aremeyaw Anas Award for transparency and the award for excellence in innovation and technology.

The company which has been at the forefront of providing technical support to the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority particularly in the implementation of the Ghana National Single window has gained prominence in both the public and private sectors as it continues to stamp and assert its authority as the leading IT solutions firm in the country, just two years and some months after its inception in the country.

In respect of technology and innovation, it is a known fact that the company on a continuous basis churns out innovative ways of ensuring easy and smooth trade facilitation processes.

The continuous deployment of technology to get things done faster and with ease has become the company’s hallmark with the recent deployment of the e-Manifest system at the Kotoka International Airport as its latest technological baby.

The deployment of the e-Manifest will allow customs officials at the KIA access information on consignments arriving in the country in real time.

The trend hitherto had been that, the customs officials will hop from one airline to the other in search of such information in order to process and facilitate the clearance of goods. In some instances the New Maritime & Transport Digest gathers, the documents are not always found at the airlines and this makes the work of the customs officers difficult.

In all this, the consignees usually bear the brunt since any delays in clearing the cargo amounts to an increase in the cost of doing business. It therefore comes as no surprise that the company continue to receive recognition from within and without the country.

Indeed through the work of the company, Ghana’s ranking in the World Bank trading across border reports has increased from 167 to 154 in 2017. In sub-Saharan Africa, Ghana is ranked among the top 10 and first in West Africa.

Among 47 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the country stands at the 9th position. The same can be said about the Global Logistics Performance Index rankings in which the country rose 12 places from 100th position in 2014 to 88th position in 2016 out of 160 countries.

Earlier in the year, the company received the software development company of the year and the best use of social media, government agency category from the National Information Technology Development Agency NITDA in Nigeria and the Nigeria Technology Awards respectively.

WestBlue also received the Technology and Innovation Award at the maiden edition of the Ghana Maritime and Shipping Awards earlier in the year.

International organisations such as the World Customs Organisation (WCO) have conferred awards on the company for its role in improving and facilitating trade in the country.