Electronic Clearance of Imported Cargoes Starts At Takoradi Port

Owners of imported cargoes into Ghana through the ports of Tema and Takoradi and all other stakeholders in the shipping industry would soon be breathing a sigh of relief when the paperless clearance of goods system instituted by the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) is fully operational.

Speaking to The Republic on the sideline of a seminar organized by the Ghana Shippers' Authority on Tuesday at the 6th National Shippers' Day in Accra on the topic “Trade Facilitation and Revenue Mobilization at the port: striking a balance”, the Deputy Commissioner of Operations-Customs Division, Ghana Revenue Authority, Mr. Sam Akwasi Yankyera revealed that the pilot project of the electronic clearance system has taken off at the Takoradi Port on Monday.

“To bring more efficiency and effectiveness to the clearance of goods at our ports by reducing malfeasance and unnecessary delays and other associated bureaucratic processes which negatively affect clearance time and other targeted objectives , we(CEPS) have introduced this electronic platform for the use of all the stakeholders who do business in our ports”, he said

Mr.Yankyera added that the paperless clearance system would reduce the printing of papers and other voluminous documents that clearing agents and importers carry around to shipping lines and agencies, freight stations, CEPS, Destination Inspection Companies and other relevant agencies in the chain of the clearance process in order to secure the release of their cargoes.

The paperless clearance system he said “uses a unique consignment reference which is a unique identification of all consignments and it is done through the platform for processing declarations where all importers would have to make use of. It is the vehicle for the transmission of information and also for the relevant attached documents which would not require the usage of the physical copies of these documents”

The Deputy Commissioner of CEPS assured all stakeholders who would be making use of this electronic clearance platform of their readiness to address any challenge that may be associated with the implementation of this new laudable initiative which is expected to bring major reforms to the shipping industry.

He also stated that the pilot implementation of the electronic clearance system in the port of Takoradi would help identify the challenges that it is likely to face before it becomes fully operational. This he said would strategically position them (CEPS) in avoiding serious constraints when it is finally introduced in the Port of Tema where majority of the goods imported into the country are cleared.