Ghana Community Network Services Limited (GCNet ) has interacted with the executives of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders(GIFF) at a meeting held in Tema.
The interaction was to foster good working relations between the two institutions and to address challenges facing freight forwarders in their daily operations.
The Deputy General Manager of GCNet, Mr. Emmanuel Darko, said paper processes should be eliminated in the clearing and forwarding of cargo.
“The entire process of clearing and forwarding of cargo should be made electronic. This will ensure efficiency and speed in the process. We need a system that will also make online payment possible.”
He noted that despite the challenges the company faced some years ago, it has facilitated the clearing of goods in a short time with the deployment of its system and software.
Mr. Carlos Ahenkorah, President of GIFF, said the electronic system for processing trade and customs documents in the country deployed by GCNet has had a positive impact on their operations.
He called on the Ghana Shippers Authority to invest a substantial amount of the revenue it generates in developing facilities at the country’s ports to facilitate clearing and forwarding of goods.
Mr. Ahenkorah mentioned lack of access to finance and high interest rates as two critical challenges that freight forwarders face.
“Deregulation of the sector has brought about capital flight. We now have a lot of foreigners operating in an area hitherto reserved for Ghanaians. Foreign companies poach workers from local companies,” he said.
GCNet was established to develop and operate a customised electronic system for processing trade and customs documents.
To optimise this service, the GCNet website has been designed to provide information about the service.
It explains how to access the TradeNet, procedures for electronic clearances, various codes used during clearance (HS, CPC, Duty and Tax, Freight Station and Warehouse), the status of arriving carriers and the rotation numbers assigned to them by Customs, and indicative values of used vehicles.
Executives of GCNet and GIFF in a group photograph
