The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has completed the roll out of its new Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS).
The final stage of the deployment took effect at the Tema Port yesterday, completing the nationwide roll out.
Ghana Links Services Limited which has 10 years contract with government of Ghana contracted CUPIA of Korea to deploy its electronic customs management system called Universal Pass (UNI-PASS) for Ghana’s trade facilitation.
The Ghana version of UNI-PASS developed by the contractor is what government has rebranded into ICUMS.
In a statement announcing the completion of the nationwide rollout, GRA said effective yesterday, all transactions in respect of import and export manifest can be processed through either ICUMS or the Ghana Customs Management System for the Port of Tema as well as all entry points.
The statement signed by acting Commissioner-General of GRA Mr Ammishaddai Owusu-Amoah, noted that all existing transactions that began processing prior to May 31, 2020, but have not been completed in the Ghana Customs Management System (GCMS) shall be reprocessed through ICUMS.
“All transactions in respect of import/export manifest can be processed either Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) or Ghana Customs Management System (GCMS) for the Tema Port as well as all other entry points.
‘For the avoidance of doubt, with effect from June 1, 2020, all new transactions without exception in respect of import and export shall only be processed through the ICUMS,” the statement added.
The ICUMS platform is a new port clearing system that processes documents and payments through one window: a departure from the previous system where valuation and classification and risk management and payment were handled by different entities.
CUPIA Korea, which is assisting the Customs Division to implement UNIPASS system, has described it as an enhanced single window system for trade facilitation.
