They went offline on 28 April 2020, convinced that their time at Ghana’s ports and airports had come to an end after over two decades but they are now been asked to make a swift return.
This is after the “improved and better” system that was supposed to replace them failed woefully on the day of deployment.
So abysmal was the failure of the Ghana Link/UNIPASS-ICUMS, Ghana’s ports and airports have been returned to the post-automation era of manual clearance processes; meaning all, gains made to automate the cargo clearance process was reversed in a few hours.
This is because of a decision by the Senior minister Yaw Osafo Marfo, which Spokesperson for Ghana Community Network Limited (GCNET) Francis Kwarteng Arthur told Sena Nombo on the Gold Power Drive they unsuccessfully tried to get President Nana Akufo-Addo to reverse.
According to him, upon receiving the letter directing them to switch off their systems and pack out of Ghana’s entry points, the petitioned President Akufo-Addo to intervene.
Francis Kwarteng Arthur said their petition was referred to the Trade minister Ala Kyeremanteng who wrote to them indicating that they agreed with the Senior Minister; a development that he said gave them no other option but to obey the directive.
GCNET was until Tuesday 28 April 2020 partnering West Blue to run Ghana’s paperless system at the country’s major ports and airport using the Single window system.
Importers and exporters and their agents and freight forwarders have expressed satisfaction with the Single Window System and the significant efforts made to improve its efficiency.
The scene at Ghana’s ports and airports last Tuesday left a lot of freight forwarders and their clients frustrated and angry with no one able to clear their cargoes.
Francis Kwarteng Arthur says the authorities need to explain the anomalies to the importers and exporters because of the hurried decision to get rid of his outfit and West Blue despite the red-flags raised by several stakeholders about the Ghana Link/UNIPASS-ICUMS.
He said his outfit had a contract with the Government of Ghana that was supposed to end in 2023.
The GCNET Spokesperson said his outfit was informed by the Senior Minister that they can make any compensation claim they wish to government after they pack out.
The Ghana Link/UNIPASS-ICUMS was supposed to undertake a nationwide rollout despite its dramatic failure during the piloting at the Takoradi Port.
It is still unclear why the government was in a hurry to roll-out a system which the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders said was fraught with elementary problems
Source: Sena Nombo/Radiogoldlive.com
