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Customs officials at Elubo deny challenges with ICUMS
Customs officials at the Elubo land border- one out Ghana’s six land borders – have denied claims of challenges faced by the use of Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) in processing and releasing cargo vehicles into the country.
Media reports indicate that dozens of vehicles are seen parked behind the Elubo border and are unable to be processed for entry into Ghana due to some challenges encountered by the newly deployed ICUMS at the land borders.
A member of the Trade and Finance Committee of Parliament, Mr Isaac Adongo, in a media interaction showed a video portraying the hurdles importers go through in clearing their goods using the ICUMS, and said that affirmed the defects of the new system.
However, a Customs Long Room official at Elubo, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the vehicles parked behind the border had nothing to do with the use of the ICUMS.
“It is not unusual to see cars parked behind the border, it happens occasionally. Cars are parked on the no man’s land between Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana a lot of time for many reasons. These vehicles are allowed to park behind the border awaiting documentations. It has nothing to do with the ICUMS,” the official said.
The Custom official further asserted that, “the processing of documents for early release of vehicles into the country known as Compliance was now being done at the headquarters of the Customs Division because the GCNET system is not working again, as many of these guys processed their BOEs in that system. This means we at the boarder cannot process those old BOEs unless the head office hence the delay”.
The official said the only challenge they faced was the approval of their documents from the headquarters.
“Previously the approval and compliance was done by us at the Long room here and that speeds up the job, but now that the old system is off and the compliance has to be done at the headquarters hence the delay in processing and releasing the vehicles. But with ICUMS, everything is going on well,” he noted.
Some drivers who spoke on the issue gave various reasons for their parking there which had nothing to do with the ICUMS.
Ibrahim Sani said they were waiting for their agents from the Ivorian side to complete declaration processes to enable them to enter Abidjan as they had completed their processes from the Ghanaian side.
Another driver, Emmanuel Asante said the agent was waiting to receive funds from the importer to pay for the duties required which would then enable customs to allow them into Ghana.
ICUMS last week in the first four days registered some 1,452 transactions at the land frontiers and out of this, 408 were direct imports into home use, 900 Temporary Vehicle Imports, 34 warehouses, 20 transit and nine Free Zones.
The source at the Customs Long Room at Elubo, said every transaction done in ICUMS including TVI is issued with their required certificate, stressing, “For the avoidance of doubt, a TVI certificate is generated and given to the driver, which is verifiable.”
Source: Ghanaian Times
Muslims across the country celebrated this year’s Eid-ul-Adha in a colourful and spiritually uplifting atmosphere under the theme, “A Season of Sacrifice, Solidarity and Spiritual Renewal.”
The celebration brought together Muslims from diverse backgrounds in a remarkable display of faith, unity and cultural heritage.
The occasion was marked by special Eid prayers at various designated grounds, the slaughtering of rams in homes for sharing among family members, friends and the less privileged, as well as musical concerts and recreational activities including horse riding.
Leading the celebration was the Chief Imam, Dr Sheikh Osman Sharubutu.
While the national celebration was held at the Black Star Square where President John Dramani Mahama was the Special Guest of Honour, similar gatherings took place at different centres across the capital and other regions of the country.
A visit by The Spectator to some celebration grounds revealed Muslims, both young and old, elegantly dressed in colourful jalabiya and other Islamic attire, reflecting the rich culture and traditions of the Muslim community.
The celebration also portrayed the spirit of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence in the country, as a number of Christians joined their Muslim counterparts to mark the occasion.
Muslim leaders and government officials used the opportunity to call on the faithful to uphold the teachings of the Holy Quran, renew their spiritual commitment and refrain from acts capable of undermining the peace, unity and security of the nation.
They further urged Ghanaians to continue to live in harmony and support one another for national development.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
Dear Obaa Yaa,
During Eid-ul- Adha celebration, I decided to spend the weekend at my boyfriend’s place since we were planning towards our marriage.
To my surprise, what keeps me wide awake, restless and frustrated every single time is that he snores loudly like a generator running on full power, and I genuinely cannot get any rest
At a point, I thought it was just a normal thing, but I have realised it is something he does with ease and doesn’t see anything wrong with it.
When he steps out in the morning, I try to get enough sleep because I may not sleep in the evening.
The most annoying thing is that, he always wants to cuddle me. These two things are a no for me and a red flag.
We are about to get married, what should I do?
Enam, Keta.
Dear Enam,
The snoring and constant cuddling are frustrating, but you don’t have to choose between sleep and closeness.
Start with the snoring: check if it’s worse when he sleeps on his back, cut out alcohol before bed, try nasal strips or a humidifier, and see a doctor if he pauses while breathing.
For quick relief, foam earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones help a lot.
Separate blankets, a bigger bed, or sleeping apart on some nights often makes couples rest well and feel closer overall.
Bring this up before the wedding .Tell him you want to wake up next to him for years to come, but sleep deprivation makes you both miserable.
Test earplugs and side-sleeping this weekend, and if it’s still unbearable, bring in a doctor. Good sleep matters more for your marriage than staying glued together all night.
