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New ICUMS bags GH¢490m in 2 weeks …poised to surpass average GH¢920 monthly revenue collected this year
The new Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) which became fully operational at Ghana’s ports this month has generated GH¢490 million between June 1 and 17, 2020
Acting Commissioner-General of Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, who disclosed this yesterday in Accra, said, that based on average collections from January to May this year, the new system was on course to surpass or match the monthly average revenue of GH¢920 million collected by the GCnet system from January to May this year.
He noted that the collected revenue contradict opinion that the Authority was in line to make losses by deploying the ICUMS.
“So far, notwithstanding the earlier implementation challenges, the system generated GH¢490 million from June 1 to 17, 2020. Looking at this trend, it is obvious that the GRA will not be losing revenue as being highlighted by some sections of society,” he stated.
The system, Mr Owusu-Amoah said, has so far processed 53,000 Customs Bill of Entry (BOEs) nationwide with 16,000 of these submitted at Tema while 12,000 relates to pre-manifest processes.
Out of the total Tema BOEs, about 11,000 have been successfully processed while about 5,000 of the BOEs were at various stages of processing at Customs Technical Services Bureau (CTBS), he indicated.
The 4,000 BOEs, which have been delayed, according to the Acting Commissioner-General, was due to unanswered queries by declarants for the necessary supporting documents, mostly requirements by Ministries, Departments and Agencies such as permits and fees, manifest mismatch and to effect corrections.
Earlier, the system, he said, was confronted with Tax Identification Number (TIN) not populating at the front-end of declarant, which has been resolved, and co-loading and manifest matching which has been addressed with alternative arrangements for all importers who still have challenges with it.
Additionally, the GRA has intensified training of staff and importers in collaboration with the Freight Forwarders Associations to build their capacity and make it user friendly, Mr Owusu-Amoah stated.
He added that “We have established a call centre and support service desks both at the Tema Long Room and at the CTSB to deal with complaints of declarations for speedy resolution. In addition, a toll free number has been established to address the concerns of the trading public.”
He further assured importers that the GRA was engaging the Ministry of Trade and Industry and all other stakeholders to tackle concerns about demurrage in the system adding that “the Customs Division is up to deal with any challenge which will arise from implementation of ICUMS.”
Assistant Commissioner of Customs, Emmanuel Ohene, Sector Commander of Accra and Head of the Technical Implementation Committee of ICUMS, noted that the GRA has projected that it would commence 48-hour end-to-end clearance processes at the port effectively in the next six months to achieve the system’s set goals.
Unlike ICUMS, he explained that previous systems were not able to conduct end-to-end clearance for the three segments which include pre-arrival, clearance and post-clearance.
Source: Ghanaian Times
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
