Ghana Link Network Services Ltd and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority GRA have started another round of refresher training for users of the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS).

The training, which is currently ongoing in the Northern part of Ghana is expected to cover Northern, Savanah, and Upper East Regions, and will equip all stakeholders especially Customs Officials and the freight forwarders in the designated area.

After almost four months of deployment nationwide, the ICUMS implementation Committee and Ghana Link, the technical services provider, put together the training programme to help retrain and update stakeholders using the system on enhancements and new additions.

The training which kick started on Monday October 19, 2020 at the Tamale collection of the Customs Division of GRA office is to cover all regimes within customs and after the Northern part of Ghana will be taken to all other customs collections and Freight forwarders operational areas in Ghana.

The Chairman of the ICUMS implementation team and also the Sector Commander of James Town Collections of Customs Division of GRA, AC Emmanuel Ohene, who spoke to the media disclosed that, the refresher training has become necessary to help update and also bring users of the ICUMS up to speed with new developments in the system.

“We are doing this to introduce new initiatives to both customs and freight forwarders, educate especially Customs officers on the new decentralization drives in ICUMS. We are currently spending 10 days in the Northern part of Ghana and will move to other areas of the country,” he said.

He added that the training had become necessary as the customs officers operating the ICUMS needed to have their skills sharpened to help reduce the turnaround time.

He said more importantly, it will help the government to achieve its target of improving its performance on the ease of doing business ranking by the World Bank in the area of customs operations.