West Blue Consulting is getting ready to take over the Classification, Valuation and Risk Management functions from the Destination Inspection Companies (DICs) at the Ghana’s ports as government has directed the DICs to hand over.
A letter addressed to the Chief of Staff and signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Operations at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Frederick Gavor stated that effective 1st September 2015, all imports though the frontiers, air and sea ports will be processed by Ghana Customs through the Pre-Arrival Assessment Repot System (PAARS), for the issuance of Customs Classification and Valuation Report (CCVR), which replaces the Final Classification and Valuation Report (FCVR).
“All active FCVRs (under processing and unutilized) will however be allowed in the current Destination Inspection System for the next thirty (30) days ending 2nd October 2015.
Ghana community Network (GCNet) will cease transmission and receipt of completed FCVRs from DICs at the end of the grace period in October,” the letter added. The letter further added that test run of the Software will start on 9th August 2015, adding that GCNet and West Blue are to make available their systems for the test run.
It also directed that Freight Forwarders are to submit dummy documents for test runs alongside the DIC system and the shipping and airline companies are also to lodge the documents into the PAARS.
The letter disclosed that the arrangement was agreed upon in a meeting held at the Ministry of Finance with West Blue and GCNet.
West Blue has faced stiff opposition ever since it emerged that the Presidency had directed that the company must be given the contract to operate a national single window at the nation’s ports.
Critics and industry players have argued that West Blue had failed in Nigeria and the Nigerian government is working to kick them out of that country.
In a related development, an Accra Fast Track Court last week struck out a case brought before it by a freight forwarder against the West Blue deal.
The freight forwarder, Michael Kweku Djan was seeking an injunction to stop government from contracting West Blue Ghana limited to manage its single window policy. –
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By: Norvan Acquah-Hayford/citifmonline.com/Ghana
