Accra, Sept. 14, GNA - Mr. James Agyenim-Boateng, Deputy Minister of Information, on Tuesday appealed to the Ghana Community Network (GCNet) to assist the Ghana News Agency with logistics such as computers and air conditioners to enable the Agency to effectively discharge its mandate.

The GCNet is an ICT-based solution centre that fosters trade development with its partners and helps in revenue mobilization and other business transactions.

Mr. Agyenim-Boateng, who was speaking during a familiarization tour of the offices of the GCNet, expressed concern about the poor state of the GNA and urged other corporate organisations to also come to the aid of the Agency since it was the main news agency of the country. He expressed his appreciation to GCNet for financing the construction of the Tamale ICT Centre and praised it for its revenue mobilization efforts.

Mr. Agyenim-Boateng expressed optimism that his visit would help deepen bilateral relationship between GCNet and the Ministry of Information.

In his response, Mr. Emmanuel Darko, Executive Director, GCNet, pledged to consult the Board of Directors of his outfit on the need to assist the Ghana News Agency.

"We will visit the GNA for assessment on how best we can come in and also help with their network system", he pledged. Mr. Darko noted that GCNet covered about 98 per cent of all customs-related trade transactions in the country by the use of standardized technical and electronic security services. He cited shipping lines, insurance companies, banks, petroleum companies and freight forwarders as some of the clients of GCNet. Mr. Darko noted that currently, there were 37 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) working with GCNet and called on other organizations which were not on board to do so.

"We will appreciate it very much if we could get MDAs such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Fisheries Commission, the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and the Timber Inspection Division to come on board due to the crucial role they play in the economic development of the country", he said.

He praised the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) for the introduction of the Unique Consignment Reference (UCR) number onto the Ghanaian market. UCR is a module for the issuance of a unique number designed for electronic commerce that binds together all data concerning trade transactions.