The introduction of ICUMS is strategic for the trade facilitation agenda -Minister

Business news for Friday, September 18, 2020

Source: GNA

2020-09-18

Alan Kyerematen, Minister of Trade and Industry, has said that the introduction of the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) was of strategic importance to the country’s trade facilitation agenda.

He said the country needed a trade facilitation system that would be attractive and support companies in their quest to become the preferred investment destination not only in West Africa but also on the African continent.

This was said by Mr. Kyerematen at a stakeholder engagement organized by the Accra Airport Sector of the Ghana Revenue Authority Customs Division at Terminal Three in collaboration with ICUMS management.

The Forum convened at the request of the Sector Commander, Thomas Daniel Williams, was attended by the Accra Commander and the Head of the ICUMS Implementation Working Group, Emmanuel Ohene.

He deliberated on ways to help curb the current delays in document processing.

Mr. Kyerematen said that with the introduction of the ICUM system, the KIA has achieved significant revenue gains and exceeded its target.

He congratulated the KIA Accra Sector Command leadership and stakeholders for efforts to improve revenue mobilization.

He said progress was made, particularly in the context of COVID-19, which was a major obstacle to trade facilitation and revenue mobilization. The minister said that despite the challenges, the KIA team was able to meet its objective.

He said that KIA was one of the few entry points that were able to implement the new system without problems despite the initial challenges.

He said that when the system was introduced, there were stakeholders who did not appreciate the change due to a lack of understanding of the technology.

“The system is giving its testimonies,” he added.

He said that the country’s customs management and trade facilitation landscape was characterized during the decade by a multiplicity of service providers.

Kyerematen said the real reason the change was not only critical but appropriate was that “we should not, as a country, have no problems with revenue mobilization at this stage of our development.”

He said the introduction of ICUMS was to address the challenges of the multiplicity of service providers working within the same environment in an uncoordinated manner.

“So this suggested the need for a complete end-to-end integrated system built on a platform that will have an internal mechanism to provide effective risk management that enables revenue collection,” he said.

The Minister said that once there was a multiplicity of service providers on an electronic platform, it became very difficult to manage the interface between the different users.

He said that Ghana could not become a destination of choice when it could not manage its trade facilitation agenda.

He said that with the introduction of the Continental Free Trade Zone the need had become more imperative because the country could be legally considered as the commercial capital of Africa.

He said that an effective trade facilitation system promotes the ease of doing business and ensures the competitiveness of companies.

Mr. Thomas D. Williams, the KIA Sector Commander, told the GNA that the new system was superior to the previous ones.

He said that with the introduction, the KIA Command had exceeded its June 2020 target by 15.2 percent compared to last year and by 22.6 percent in July 2020.

He encouraged stakeholders to adopt the new system and work with officials to reap the full benefits of the system.

He expressed the hope that the few issues and challenges raised by stakeholders will be addressed so that they can update the full benefits of ICUMS technology.

Mr. Richard Ackah, President of the Ghana Freight Forwarders Institute, Airport, said that forums should be held to validate the system and address some of the challenges raised by stakeholders.

He commended the Sector Command leadership for their continued efforts to raise awareness about the system and address the challenges it entails.

ICUMS is a system built by Universal Pass (UNI-PASS), specially adapted to the Ghana situation and provides an end-to-end supply chain solution that incorporates and consolidates existing systems currently in operation.