The Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) will commence the implementation of the Advanced Shipment Information (ASHI) on April 2.

According to Mr Fred Asiedu-Dartey, Head of Public Relations, if government wishes to suspend it, the GSA, as an implementer of government policies would oblige.

Answering a question at a media encounter organized by the Authority as part of its stakeholders’ consultation on the programme, he said government has so far not directed the authority to suspend the ASHI programme.

He said there was a lot of misinformation in the system about the programme as a result of ignorance hence the need for the Authority to embark on consultation and education to allay the fears of shippers and the general public.

Mr Emmanuel Anko, the Tema branch Manager of the Authority, said ASHI was not a duplication of an system especially the GC-net which is a single window system which is linked to all relevant institutions in the shipping industry.

He said the advance information to be obtained by the shipper would also be lodged onto the GCnet where each institution would be fed relevant information.

According to him, the first year implementation of the programme would reduce demurrage by more than 30 per cent and subsequently reduce rent, which are some of the main problems affecting shippers in the country.

He said importers who buy from the open market abroad would use the old system of computation to generate the necessary information.

According to him, the programme would not cause job losses in Ghana as alleged by a section of the public but would rather reduce cost and bring about transparency in the clearing system where people normally do over invoicing and under voicing and altering of documentation to gain financially from the system.

“The relevant information needed by government to profile the import regime for proper planning would be achieved by this system.”

Mr Anko said so far 1,896 persons abroad have registered and are ready to do business, adding that, it would not bring about any additional documentation and cost to any importer in Ghana.