Members of the Freight Forwarders Association have proposed the setting up of dedicated business customer service call centres.

This, according to the Freight Forwarders Association, will help with the effective implementation of the paperless port transaction systems.

Speaking on Atinka AM Drive in Accra yesterday, acting Executive Secretary of Freight Forwarders Association, Mr. Eddy Ackron, on behalf of the members urged the government to establish such call centres and make them as effective so as to improve trade in the country.

Additionally, for the paperless port transaction system to be successful, the members called on the government to provide extensive education on it.

In May 2017, Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, gave three directives at a port efficiency conference he organised to improve trade in the country. One of the directives was the removal of all customs barriers on the country’s transit corridor, a joint inspection by all regulatory agencies at the ports and the introduction of a hundred per cent paperless transactions at the ports effective 1st September, 2017.

They explained that education on paperless port transactions system was very low, especially among the freight forwarders themselves. According to them, the work at the port has to do with some technicalities which demanded in-depth knowledge.

They added that in order to replace the old custom barrier systems with the new paperless system, there should be the need for extensive education in order to ensure that there are no errors when the system officially kicks-off.