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 Douala, Cameroun, 08-11 September 2014.
5th to 8th August Peer review 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) processing
Single Window Model End-User Importers Exporters GCNet Single Window Web-Based e-mda Public User Banks/Insurance Co GPHA Consolidators FES GICCS BI Shipping Lines Customs House Agents FIS DI Companies Transporters MDAs Terminal/ICD Customs GCMS
3. System Architecture Components Service Clients emda GICCS Data entry and submission for Government approvals (permits, certificates and exemptions) for Customs clearance Data entry and submission for BoE (Declaration), Cargo & House manifest, DO, CMR, transit bond, and transit truck assignment Traders MDAs Banks 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 electronic to handwritten signature, authentication of e-signature)
1.4. Business Model 1. Context 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 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) APPROVALS 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 DECLARE-RELEASE Delivery Order Assignment of transit truck (I-transit: sealing and GPS tracking) Release Authority confirms release (GICCS) and authorises movement REMOVAL 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 prearrival authorisations from MDAs for import and export; Application, issuance and termination of transit bond.
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; Assignment of registered transit trucks to goods.
2.4. SW processes 2. Coverage 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 removal of goods.
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 No e-signature required / used
2.5. SW services 2. Coverage 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 Reduced from fourteen high-level process steps to four
5. Strengths and Weaknesses Manifest submission Interface with Customs Consolidation of all declaration related payments at banks (no Govt agency involvement) Automated processing of MDA request
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 Strengths 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. Weaknesses 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) Opportunities Regional / international initiatives for paperless trade New technologies are available to enable cheaper and easy access to the system at remote locations Mobile inspections Threats GPHA: Competition rather than collaboration