The Chairman of Ghana Link Network Services Ltd (Ghana Link) Mr. Nick Danso Adjei was given the ultimate award at the 5th edition of the Ghana Shippers Awards held on Friday, August 19, 2022, at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra.
He was crowned as the “Entrepreneur of the Year” at the awards night.
The award is in recognition of Mr Danso Adjei’s exemplary and visionary leadership in leveraging technology and automating trade processes, thus increasing revenue for national development.
He successfully led his team at Ghana Link to steer the implementation of the trade facilitation tool, the Integrated Customs Management Systems (ICUMS) in Ghana.
This award becomes the second time that the Executive Chairman of Ghana Link has won the topmost award at the Ghana Shippers Awards.
Mr Nick Danso Adjei last year won the Personality of the Year Award for his exceptional leadership, vision, integrity and focus in helping to make the country the gateway to the West African sub-region when it comes to trade.
In an interview, Mr Danso Adjei’s Ghana Link thanked the organisers of the award the Ghana Shipper’s Authority for the recognition and the entire trade community especially the Ghana Revenue Authority GRA and its Customs Division, Freight Forwarders, Importers and Exporters Association, Shipping Lines, GPHA, MPS and the entire business community for their acceptance and roles in the success of the implementation of the Integrated Customs Management Systems.
“I want to thank God for this award and recognition given me, and this I must say is something that gives me the urge to work even more hard with my team at Ghana Link and Nick Scan. I am even more grateful to the trading community especially, GRA Customs Division, GPHA, Importers and Exporters, Freight Forwarders, Shipping Lines, MPS, MMDA’s and all other agencies who in one way or the other have contributed to our success.”
He added that Ghana Link Network Services Ltd was committed to improving the processes of the system to make it even more robust than it is today to help the Customs Division of the GRA to rake in more revenue for the nation’s development.
“Today the job we have done in Ghana with the help of our stakeholders is one that has been seen in the sub-region and because of that, Gambia has called on Ghana Link Network Services Ltd to come and deploy the ICUMS system in their country to help reduce the turnaround time at the port and increase the revenue generated at their ports of entry.”
Under the leadership of Mr Danso Adjei’s Ghana Link has begun to deploy phase two of the ICUMS like the E-Auction for the Ghana Revenue Authority (Customs Division and Domestic Tax Division) which aims at helping the auctioning processes to be transparent and smooth.
The company is also expected to work with the authorities at the Kotoka Airport to deploy the Airport Passenger Information Systems also known as the APIS.
The Deputy Minister of Transport, Frederick Obeng Adom, at the event said government is taking action to find a lasting solution to shipper complaints including arbitrary charges and unapproved exchange rates used by some service providers.
Mr Obeng Adom who spoke on behalf of the Transport Minister at the 5th edition of the Ghana Shippers Awards disclosed that the Ministry is currently putting in place new measures to ensure that the complaints that come are dealt with immediately and on time.
He pointed out that complaints regarding arbitrary charges and exchange rates used by some service providers are issues the Ministry frowns on and was working frantically with stakeholders to understand their concerns, ensuring that the local currency, the Cedi, remains the only currency used in all transactions at Ghana’s ports.
“It is my fervent hope that consensus would be built to deal with these matters as quickly as possible to help not only support your operations but also accelerate economic growth,” he said.
Speaking at the awards, the CEO of the Ghana Shippers Authority, Benonita Bismarck, said her outfit will continue to promote and protect the interest of shippers while rewarding them for their efforts to smoothen the import and exports processes in Ghana.
