Trade Minister, Alan Kyeremanten, has explained that the newly introduced Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) was brought in to address a multiplicity system at Ghana’s ports.
According to him, the implementation of the system despite some teething operational issues has significantly improved Ghana’s port revenue mobilization efforts.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum in Accra on Thursday, September 17, 2020, Alan Kyeremanten said, “Our trade facilitation and customs management system has been characterized for several decades by a multiplicity of service providers and the real reason why a change to UNIPASS/ICUMS was appropriate and critical to improve Ghana’s port revenue mobilization efforts”.
He noted that another reason which underpins the change in the system to UNIPASS/ICUMS was that such a multiplicity system at the ports often worked in an uncoordinated manner.
“This suggested the need for a comprehensive, end-to-end system on one platform that will have an internal mechanism to provide the effective risk management to optimize revenue collection,” Alan Kyeremanten stated.
The Trade Minister added that multiple service providers on different platforms have, over the years, made it difficult to manage the interplay between the various stakeholders on the single window platform.
The forum, which was organised by the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) sector of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, at the Terminal Three, also revealed that revenue mobilization under the new single-window system was impressive.
UNIPASS/ICUMS Background
Effective June 1, 2020, all transactions related to the import and export of goods at the various ports started to be conducted through ICUMS, ending the operations of GCNet and West Blue Consulting.
The system, deployed by Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), replaced the Ghana Customs Management System (GCMS).
ICUMS is a system built by Universal Pass (UNI-PASS), specially tailored to Ghana’s situation and provides an end-to-end supply chain solution that incorporates and consolidates existing systems currently in operation.
Ghana Link Services Limited, which has a 10-year contract with the Government, as a technical partner, contracted CUPIA of Korea to deploy its electronic customs management system, called Universal Pass (UNI-PASS) now known as the Integrated Customs Management System ICUMS, for Ghana’s trade facilitation.
Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen