Ghana lost ¢100 million at the ports in three days due to errors in the switch from port management system GCNET to UNIPASS.

Isaac Adongo, the Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central who made this claim says the anomaly occurred from April 28 to April 30.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) legislator said the revenue loss has continued till June causing huge financial loss to the country.

According to Adongo, following all protocols for a transition and conducting “a pilot would have cleared the way for a seamless transition from an end to end digital system to an end to end digital system.”

Due to the irregularity, however, Ghana gained no revenue for clearance of goods within the period.

The MP is calling on government to allow GCNET to continue running operations at the Ghana ports instead of handing over to UNIPASS entirely.

Port operations revert to pre-2002 era

Policy think-tank IMANI has also denounced the new port management system.

IMANI, for instance, stated that “UNIPASS system has no pricing data against which they could determine current prices and respective taxes [on goods] that must be paid to the state.”

One of the effects of this, IMANI claimed is that “a vehicle that cost ¢12,000 to clear on the GCNET platform now clears for GH¢6,000 on a very manual UNIPASS.”

A 2016 model Chevrolet could be processed for as low as ¢14, IMANI said in a statement.

But the Ghana Revenue Authority has rejected these claims.

According to the GRA, it has no evidence on a transaction where “a vehicle that was purportedly valued at ¢12,000 in GCNET, but was valued at GH¢6,000 in ICUMS/UNIPASS.”

“In reference to the vehicle that was valued at ¢14 it is a case of fraudulent activity by an agent,” GRA said.

Measures have been taken to block the said agent, GRA said.

The Authority also rejected claims the new management system has reverted port operations to pre-2002 era.