GCNET reduces goods clearance time

Accra, Mar 3, GNA - The Ghana Community Network Services Limited (GCNET) has reduced the average goods clearance time from three days to four hours and improved revenue collection.

Speaking at a seminar on Tuesday for exhibitors at the Ghana International Trade Fair, Mr Emmanuel Darko, Director of GCNET said, "With the new system of clearance, much time has been saved because the manual procedures, which took place at the CEPS Long Room are done away".

Explaining the system, which was introduced into the country some few years ago, Mr Darko said "revenue has shot up to as high as 49.4 per cent per annum unlike the previous smaller percentage". He said previously, the import and export business was plagued with lot of challenges including import breaches and incorrect declaration coupled with human errors.

He said that under GCNET, measures had been taken to correct most of the problems, adding that, the network provided systematic monitoring of consignments.

It has also enhanced revenue placing Ghana among the select community of nations that had deplored an e-commerce systems for trade facilitation and effective revenue mobilization.

Mr Darko said over 1,600 stakeholders including Customs Officials, freight forwarders and shipping companies had been trained to efficiently manage and access the system.

Already, most of the clearing centres in southern part of Ghana had been linked to the system, he said, adding that, those at Enchi, Elubo and Aflao would be linked this year.

He mentioned the main challenge facing the system as power outages but, added that, alternative power supply like generators had been put by to save the situation.