Peer Review Country Report

Peer Review Country Report

Workshop on the impact of single windows on the passage of goods across ports and on the trade facilitation in general

Peer review

5th to 8th August

Team: Ms Birgit Viohl, project consultant, and Mr

Mor Talla Diop (Senegal Single Window, Gainde

2000)

Mission: 14 interactive sessions

Scope: GCNet SW, excluding i-transit module and

Ghana Customs Management System (GCMS)

Single Window Model

Web-Based

Importers Exporters Consolidators

Customs House Agents Transporters GPHA Banks/Insurance Co DI Companies Shipping Lines MDAs

GCNet Single Window

e-MDA

GICCS

Customs GCMS

FES BI

End-User _{Public User}

Terminal/ICD

Components Service Clients

eMDA Data entry and submission for Government approvals (permits, certificates and exemptions) for Customs clearance

Traders MDAs Banks

GICCS Data entry and submission for BoE

(Declaration), Cargo & House manifest, DO, CMR, transit bond, and transit truck assignment

SL, Terminal operators, GPHA, Customs,

Consolidators, SIC

FIS A messaging platform for exchange of FCVR - Back end

NCMS Management of clients GCNet

FES Data entry for BoE to Customs Traders (CB)

e-services Portal Tracking of processing (BoE and Manifest) SL, Traders (CB)

BI Generation tailored business reports Portal MDA

TradeNet An messaging platform for exchange of data with GCMS

- Back end

1. Context

1.2. National policy direction & mandate

Gateway project prompted the introduction of GCNet (Ghana SW) – 2000 -- 2009

Trade facilitation and simplification of customs clearance was an

aspect of export oriented development strategy and trade policy of the Government. - 2005

1.3. Legal framework

LI 1704: Customs Automation Regulation – 2002 made obligatory use of the SW for Manifest, BoE and other procedures

Electronic Transaction Act, 2008 (functional and legal equivalence of electronic and paper documents, and the equivalence of

1. Context

1.4. Business Model

PPP based on BOO between SGS(60%) and Govt [GRA] (20%) and 3 other private (20%) (GCNet Ltd.)

– 5 shareholders from private and public

– Second contract began in 2012 (Renewed for 5Yrs, option to renew)

– Profit making model

Funding

– Deployment: Original Funding from Government and Public – Operations: Funded through flat user fee (% of FOB Value of

some imported goods)

Governance

– Multi-stakeholder representations from Ministry of trade and revenue authority

1. Context

1.5. Clients

OGAs=50%,18 in SW, Total country 36

Customs Administration – GCMS (100%)

Port Authority (GPHA)

Commercial Banks = 2 of 29

(Shareholders)

Destination Inspection Companies = 100%, 5

Customs House Agents = >98%

(manual attributed to remote borders posts which are totally paper based)

, 814

Shipping Lines = 100% manifest submission, 72

Freight Forwarders, Terminals/ICDs = 100%,

Supply Chain Processes / Trade procedures

REMOVAL • Delivery Order • Assignment of transit truck • (I-transit: sealing and GPS tracking) • Release Authority confirms release (GICCS) and authorises movement DECLARE-RELEASE

• Filing of BoE (Supp docs linked by UCR)

• Submission to GCMS • Amendments to BoE

• Declaration validated (system) • Execute payment

• Customs vetting and examination

• Customs Release

APPROVALS

• Request UCR and attach trade documents)

• Request for Import Declaration Form (IDF) from DIC

• DIC Issue FCVR, and submits to Customs • Request for permits,

exemptions, authorizations (17 OGAs)

PRE-ARRIVAL INFO

• Shipping line creates Impending Arrival Notice (IAR)

• Submission of Cargo and house manifest by

shipping line or ground handler (Air)

RECEIPT of GOODS

• Submission of landed cargo (terminals)

• Transit sub-consignment closure per consignment

2. Coverage

2.2. Regulatory processes

Filing of Customs Declaration and returning of release decision (all regimes)

Payment of Customs duties, taxes and fees and other service charges including for amendments of Manifest;

Submission of cargo and house manifest to Customs and amendment of cargo manifest;

Request for and approval of FCVR by Destination Inspection Companies;

Request for and approval of Import Declaration, and other pre-arrival authorisations from MDAs for import and export;

2. Coverage

(Continued)

2.3. Transport processes

Creation, submission, and processing of the Cargo Movement

Request to move a container cargo from the berth or unloading to terminals for clearance;

Submission of cargo manifest (copy) to two main terminal operators in port of Tema and Shippers Authority;

Creation, submission, processing and return of the Delivery Order (DO) removal of goods;

Creation of the impending arrival information (IAR) notice; Submission of landed cargo by Terminals;

2. Coverage

2.4. SW processes

Electronic government approval and document

collection process;

Electronic processing of payment of customs duties

and taxes and other service fees;

Electronic submission of Cargo manifest to Customs;

Electronic processing of transport services for the

2. Coverage

2.6. Paperless and Paper-based environment



Six paperless out of 17 OGA approvals



Paperless FCVR



Paperless Customs clearance in pilot at two locations (2

sites are being piloted)



Others are still paper-based either for data entry or for

issuance of approvals

2. Coverage

2.5. SW services

Data entry, data formatting, and control and submission of data and information;

Uploading of data from external media: cargo manifest (xml format), commercial invoice (an excel sheet functionality); Tracking and tracing of processing;

Archiving;

Business Intelligence Reports to public users. Systems interfaces

4. Performance

Impacts have been measured between situation prior to GCMS and GCNet SW and after in the early years of deployment

Increased revenue collection for the government

– 34% on average increase year on year for Tema and KIA Faster clearance times

– For Tema (75% of total): ~85% cleared within 5 days compared to 14 days prior to SW

– For KIA (100% of total): ~75% within a day Simplified procedures

5. Strengths and Weaknesses

Manifest submission

Interface with Customs

Consolidation of all declaration related payments at

banks (no Govt agency involvement)

5. Strengths and Weaknesses



5.2. Areas for improvement and short term

enhancement

Processing by MDA and transparency over their

processing

Paper-based processing

Trust in verification amongst agencies and inside

agencies

Data quality (entry)

Integration of GPHA

5. Strengths and Weaknesses

Opportunities Threats

Weaknesses Strengths

• Regional / international initiatives for paperless trade

• New technologies are available to enable cheaper and easy access to the system at remote locations

• Mobile inspections

• GPHA: Competition rather than collaboration

• Lack of SLA’s between GCNet and MDA’s leading to potential delays in process

• No process performance measurement in terms of processing times at consignment level

• No focus on including port processing into SW scope

• Persistence of paper based processing and habit of officers, and persistence of control (not relying on verifications done by other officials)

• Broad user and stakeholder coverage • Effective quality and performance

monitoring

• Beneficial partnership with SGS that brings in robust management skills • Leadership on the technological level • Strong collaboration with Customs • Centralized payment facilitates

payment for users

• Good reputation and corporate marketing.