Don't pull paperless agenda down - Commissioner General of GRA

The Commissioner General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Mr Emmanuel Kofi Nti, has asked for increased collaboration from all citizens to help make the migration to paperless transaction at the ports a reality.

Mr Nti is convinced that paperless clearing of goods and processing of documents at the twin ports will help eliminate bureaucracy, reduce time wasting and cut out fraud and other corrupt practices that have long engulfed activities at the ports.

This should lead to increased revenue and a proper image for Ghana in the eyes of global investors, he said.

He made the call on Monday morning at a media interaction meant to help sensitise journalists on the migration on September 1.

Once it kicks off, the various trade facilitation institutions at the ports will be expected to operate from one unit while documents pertaining to the clearance of goods or exports at the Tema and Takoradi ports will no longer be done through paper.

Although a World Trade Organisation (WTO) requirement, Ghana has lagged behind in ensuring that electronic platforms replace paper at the ports.

In 2012, an attempt to go paperless was stalled as some of the stakeholders in the value chain were found to be unprepared.

Now, Mr Nti said all stakeholders are well prepared to make the migration a reality.

He commended the Ghana Community Network Services (GCNet) and West Blue "for working tirelessly" to ensure that the country was now in a position to roll out the project.

He said the authority and its stakeholders also had the necessary political will as the government was solidly behind them.

"We in Ghana have had attitudes," he said, referring to the resistance that normally greets change.

Although most people hardly initiate change, he said they are always quick "to pull things down" when they start and thus called for such habits to be stopped.