EFFORTS TO ENHANCE REVENUE COLLECTION AT PORTS (PAGE 24)

The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in collaboration with the Revenue Agencies Governing Board and the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service has trained 516 stakeholders in revenue collection and introduced them to a new major project to enhance revenue collection at the country’s ports.
The project will also enhance the ability of Ghana Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) to securely assume its core functions of Classification and Valuation of goods, currently being performed by the Destination Inspection Companies.
It is providing CEPS with modern Information Technology tools that will allow the Service to perform its functions of valuation and classification in a systematic, efficient and transparent manner.
The tools include electronic verifying HS Codes, f.o.b., freight and insurance values. Addressing the closing session of the first batch of the trainees in Tema, the Manager at the office of the Ghana Customs Management Systems (GCMS), Madam Rebecca Schlechter, said the new innovative Information Technology solution, the Ghana Customs and Secure Document Management Systems (GCSDMS), had been integrated into the existing GCNet/GCMS. She said all umbrella organisations of clearing agencies and shipping companies acting as carriers made inputs.
Madam Schlechter disclosed that an additional 102 companies involved in customs practices had registered to have their staff trained between September 1 and 9.
Madam Schlechter noted that the user manuals would be fully automated to reduce the period of documentation, adding that previously it took more than two weeks to process but with the new system it would be instant, using the automated user manuals. She said the training would be continuous to ensure that new technologies would be constantly imparted to the stakeholders.
Madam Schlechter was optimistic that the system would serve the public better and speed up the processes of classification and valuation of goods.
She said further that CEPS was also being provided with a building that could house about 70 officers in central Classification and Valuation unit in Accra.
Madam Schlechter noted that a series of User Manuals that provide easy-to-use guides for carriers/shipping agents, consolidators and declarants had been prepared and distributed to the associations representing key stakeholders.
She said the stakeholders were to review the manuals and provide the feedback, which would be incorporated into a final version of the manuals for distribution to the associations.
Madam Schlechter added that the project had service centres at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) and Ghana Union of Traders (GUTA).