Custom House agents laud use of ICUMS at the ports

Freight forwarders at the Tema ports have lauded the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) currently being used to facilitate trade activities.

According to them, the system, which was deployed in 2020, has yielded positive results and has helped put them in check.

The Acting President of the Association of Customs House Agents Ghana, Yaw Kyei, spoke to Citi Business News.

“ICUMS is one of the best systems we’ve ever had. We’re getting to the epitome of digitalization with this system. It’s a system that you can comfortably sit in your home or car and communicate with people to pay your duties from any of the banks. So it’s a system that we should be proud of. It’s really monitoring us and putting us on our toes. It is very difficult to even do something and erase it from the system. All your records are there, and it puts light on us to do the right thing.”

The Integrated Customs Management System, deployed in March 2020, is a single-window project introduced by the government to facilitate trade activities at the Tema Port.

The project was undertaken to strengthen the customs division of the Ghana Revenue Authority and eventually enhance revenue mobilisation at the ports.

The system, between June 2020 and April 2021 alone, generated a total of GH¢18.1 billion in revenue for the government, nearly a year after it became fully operational at the country’s land and sea borders.

Following its successful implementation, the Ghana Revenue Authority has disclosed of plans to roll out the second phase of the ICUMS by the end of this month to rake in more revenue for the country and make trade activities at the ports more effective.

Source: CitiBusinessNews