Suspend UNI-PASS deal – IMANI petitions Nana Addo

Policy think tank, IMANI Africa has petitioned President Nana Akufo-Addo on the UNI-PASS deal.

The policy think tank urged government to temporarily suspend operations of UNI-PASS and allow GCNET and West Blue to operate for the remainder of the year in order to assure the nation of revenues, most likely GHS10 billion given depressed trade activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to IMANI Africa, the apparent termination of the contracts of West Blue and GCNET have brought to bear some crucial trade facilitation issues.

The petition signed by the Founding President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe also stated some worrying incidents of false starts with the UNI-PASS system, thus the need to suspend the operations with UNI-PASS.

Citing a report published a few days ago by the Business and Financial Times newspaper titled “Takoradi port goes back to manual process as angry importers call for unipass-icums halt” and another from the state-owned daily, The Ghanaian Times, on April 20, 2020, published the header “Freight forwarders decry delays in clearing goods at Takoradi Port,” among others, the Policy think tank stated that these reports, “do not only deal a blow to the enhanced paperless system that propelled an increase in port revenues from GHS8 billion in 2016 to a little over GHS13 billion in 2017 and 2018, working with WEST BLUE and GCNET port technologies, it is likely to detract from the assured average daily revenues of almost GHS 33m and ultimately jeopardise the flow of trade.”

The statement also noted that it is utterly possible that these happenings of false starts with the UNI-PASS system are expected with installing new technology systems.

“However, it is difficult to ascertain this claim, as there has been no independent verification of the robustness of the system. Second and crucially, this is not the time to be playing games with the most significant revenue earner for the country,” it added.

In a separate interview on Eyewitness News hosted by Umaru Sanda, the IMANI Boss further suggested that an independent review be conducted of the UNI-PASS system and the Ministry of Trade and Finance be summoned to share revenue projections from implementing UNI-PASS with Ghanaians.

“Right now, it’s not the time for playing games. Revenues are a critical part of this country’s path to recovery post-COVID-19. The economic cost is so significant, no revenues coming in at all, we won’t be able to function economically,” he said.

“I do not know what data Custom and Tax Commissioners presented to your Trade and Finance Ministers and the Senior Minister’s Task Force on ports to warrant your apparent blessing of the UNI-PASS system. However, I am convinced that when the above steps are sanctioned, these officers who appear to be taking directives from superiors with non-existent data will have a rethink. They could be vindicated on the superiority of UNI-PASS too, he added.