Probe Uni-Pass Deal – IMANI Petitions Parliament

Policy think-tank, IMANI has petitioned the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Ocquaye, to investigate a ten-year Uni-Pass contract signed by the Ministry of Trade.

The petition, according to IMANI, became necessary following government’s refusal to answer some questions it raised about the contract.

A statement dated December 14, signed by the Founding President, Franklin Cudjoe said: “Since June 2018, IMANI has sent a number of letters with questions about this contract and how it will be implemented, with no answers given by the government. It has become even more important that these questions are answered given that Uni-Pass is due to start implementation in January 2019.”

The contract, which was signed between the Trade Ministry and the Ghana Link Network Services Limited in collaboration with its international partner, Customs UNI-PASS International Agency (CUPIA) of Korea Customs Services, is to provide single window services at the country’s ports.

This means that the contracts of Ghana Community Network (GCNet) and Customs World (West Blue), who are currently operating the single window system, would be terminated.

The two contracts, which are supposed to expire in 2020 and 2023 respectively, according to reports, would be terminated by December 31.

Mr. Cudjoe in his letter, however, questioned if the functions to be performed by Uni-Pass are missing from the Single Window deployed by GCNet and West Blue platforms, as well as how easily they can be added to the existing system, and at what cost.

“If revenues are likely to increase from the existing situation with the new system and if the increase will be large enough to offset the potential lost revenue from government shareholding in GCNet,” he grilled.

The GCNet contract is expected to end in 2023, while that of West Blue expires in 2020.

Breach of Customs Amendment Act

He also questioned why the Trade Ministry awarded the UNI-PASS agreement when a subsection of the Customs (Amendment) Act, 2016 (Act 923) amending the Principal Act clearly states the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is the one to manage the National Single Window System.

The policy think-tank is seeking information on the nature of the contract between MoTI and Ghana Link Network Services Limited and who bears the cost of training, change management and integration.

“Has there been an update on the initial review on the paperless port processes and what are the successes and challenges?” he quizzed.

By: Emmanuel Yeboah Britwum