GIFF President praise Ghana Link for successfully implementing ICUMS
President of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), Eddy Akrong, has heaped praises on Ghana Link Network Services Ltd for successfully implementing trade facilitation tool, the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS).
Mr Akrong who was one of the staunch opposers of the implementation of the trade facilitation tool, giving a retrospect on the local maritime industry in 2021 on the Eye on Port programme, noted the ICUMS since it’s implementation has been of enormous help to freight forwarders and the trading community at large.
“When the ICUMS was about to be introduced at the ports, I was among those who vehemently opposed it, but there was the need for that because you see what we were doing was all for the betterment of the country, to ensure that we were getting the best.
“And so far so good, the ICUMS has been very helpful to us and everyone is fine now. And we congratulate Ghana Link and urge them to continue to do better, to continue to better the system.
“ We (GIFF) are even thinking of collaborating with Ghana Link so that there can be a system where we (GIFF members) can have seamless communications with the ICUMS platform,” he noted.
Ghana Link has received similar praise and acknowledgement from the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, Association of Customs House Agents Ghana (ACHAG), Ghana Union of Traders Association [GUTA] and the trading community at large.
The introduction and implementation of the ICUMS was greeted with controversy with many – particularly the trading community – calling on the government to halt its execution.
Deployed on June 1, 2020, the ICUMS currently covers some 135 Customs operational points across the country including the Elubo and Aflao borders, the Tema and Takoradi ports, as well as the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
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The pre-clearance allows importers to make necessary applications to ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) for approval of permits on cargoes that require clearance.
It also grants an importer or agent access to create a Bill of Entry (BOE) and other such processes to enable Customs to undertake classification and valuation to determine the duties and taxes to be paid.
ICUMS lauded for unprecedented Ghs 18.1 billion revenue generation for the government
Since its implementation over a year ago, ICUMS as at the end of April 2021, had accrued to government some Ghs 18.1 billion in revenues.
The revenue generated so far consist of mobilized revenues from total imports, petroleum imports, the Domestic Tax Revenue Division (DTRD) of the GRA, the ESLA Plc and Non GRA revenues.
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Data indicate that total revenues generated from total imports and petroleum imports for the period under review amounted to Ghs 11.1 billion and Ghs 2.09 billion respectively.
Accumulated revenues from the DTRD of GRA, ESLA Plc and Non-GRA revenues amounted to Ghs 2.04 billion, Ghs 2.2 billion and Ghs 291 million respectively.
