Deputy Minister of Finance, Kwaku Kwarteng, has said the paperless port system introduced by the Akufo-Addo-led government will not be scrapped.
According to him, although there have been some issues raised with the new system by freight forwarders and clearing agents, the policy will inure to the benefit of all Ghanaians, therefore, the stakeholders must embrace it. He, however, said the bottlenecks identified with the policy will be fixed.
The paperless system is meant to fast-track processes at the port but the freight forwarders, numbering hundreds, say the new system is counterproductive.
Before the introduction of the system, the freight forwarders had protested its implementation, saying it will disrupt their processes.
However, Mr. Kwarteng, speaking in an interview on Friday, September 8, said: “The paperless system will help the entire country in the long term and so the government will not reverse that paperless policy, the implementation will be continued.
“Of course at the initial stages there will be some problems and issues with it but as it goes on you will realize that the people will become acquainted with it and accept it.
“Because it is a new policy, people will certainly throw out issues at it but as we move on those issues will be addressed. We have taken steps to deal with some of the issues that have come up.”