Swift goods clearance begins next month

THE Ghana Community Network (GCNET), a highly computerised system meant to facilitate the clearance of goods from the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), will begin working next month.

The new system will enable all persons clearing goods to do so in less than two hours instead of the minimum of six to eight hours.

The move is in line with the government's commitment to making Ghana the gateway to the sub-region.

Mr Isaac K. Toffah, the Principal Collector in charge of Enforcement at KIA, disclosed this when the Minister of Roads and Transport, Dr Richard Anane, paid a familiarisation visit to the airport.

He said clearing agents and officials of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) have been trained to enable them do effective work.

Mr Toffah said unless something odd is detected to demand a more thorough assessment of the goods, people clearing their goods will not encounter any delays as it was in the past.

He said people from neighbouring countries use Ghana as a transit point and expressed the hope that with the new system they will no longer be delayed.

Mr Toffah said the system will begin working at the Tema port by December, while the other parts of the country will also use it as from next year.

Dr Anane commended CEPS for ensuring that their operations are computerised to facilitate speedy delivery of goods at the clearing points of the country.

During his tour of the construction site of the KIA earlier on, the minister urged the contractors of the KIA rehabilitation project, Messrs SKANSKA, to expedite action on the work to enable them complete it by the end of the year.

He said the $80 million project has been delayed because of additional facilities the government requested the contractors to fix.

During the tour, it was observed that most of the installations at the departure and arrival halls had been completed while work was also briskly going on at the car park and on the tarmac.

Dr Anane expressed satisfaction at the extent of work done so far and reiterated that the project can be completed by December instead of February.

Mr Goran Petterson, the Project Manager of SKANSKA, said the expansion of the tarmac will enable the airport to accommodate larger aircraft like Concord.

He said 24 desks together with other vital installations have been fitted at the departure hall and other relevant areas.

Mr Petterson said there are series of negotiations going on between the contractors and the government to have certain installations fixed.

On his tour of the Airport City Project, the minister again commended the contractors working on the 120-room Royal Airport Hotel project for a good work done so far and said when completed, it will intensify the competition in the hospitality industry in the country.