‘GCNet’s eviction from port customs management system a recommendation of UNIPASS to govt’

A revelation from Deputy General Manager for port trade facilitation company, Ghana Community Network Services Limited (GCNet), Carl Sackey, indicates that the cancellation of GCNet’s contract by the Government of Ghana followed a recommendation to the government by the new managers of Ghana’s Customs Management System, Universal Pass (UNIPASS).  

Mr Sackey in an interview with Joy Business, said UNIPASS in 2015 was contracted to conduct an audit of GCNet’s customs management system at the port by providing UNIPASS with its data dictionary and infrastructural plan, a request the latter firmly declined.

“The then government contracted CUPIA; the IT arm of UNIPASS to come and audit our system, but we declined and wrote to government that CUPIA could not carry out an impartial audit of our system because; first, CUPIA basically offered the same services as GCNet and second they had for sometime been trying to extend their services to Ghana,” he said.

“On what basis should we give out our data dictionary which is like the blueprint of our entire database, those are the things that make our system work? They are proprietary stuffs,” he added.

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Despite not having access to GCNet’s data dictionary and infrastructural plan, CUPIA went ahead to recommend to the government in its report that, a total change in Ghana Customs Management System was needed.

A recommendation government seems to have strongly adhered to as it seeks to cancel GCNet’s contract which ends in 2023.

According to Mr Sackey, CUPIA in its report to the government cited GCNet’s system as not supportive of paperless transactions and that most ministries, agencies and departments linked to port trade facilitation did not issue permits electronically.

Findings he strongly disagreed with, asserting GCNet’s system had been designed to support paperless transactions since its implementation.

GCNet, has criticised the government over its insistence to end its Customs Management System contract with it and have it replaced with a new deal with UNIPASS, despite having an end-to-end Customs Management System for the country and deploying a comprehensive solution that aids the clearing of goods and revenue generation.