Help us pay our demurrages or we pass on bills to consumers

Help us pay our demurrages or we pass on bills to consumers - Pharmaceutical Association to govt

Medical consumables may witness a price hike in ensuing months

The Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Ghana has called on government to come to their aid by subsidizing the extra cost members have incurred on their goods at the ports due to the challenges with the UNI-PASS system.

According to the Executive Secretary of the Association of Ghana, Lucia Addae, failure for government to meet them halfway will force the association to pass on the demurrage cost to consumers.

In an interview with GhanaWeb's Ernestina Serwaa Asante, Madam Addai said,"We are engaging government to see if government can subsidize the cost. That is our current plea. If that is not done, then it means that we'd have to let the final consumer bear the whole cost".

Drugs, among other medical consumables, may witness a price hike in ensuing months should the association stay glued to their decision on Ghanaians bearing the cost of their demurrage.

"It's going to be very expensive for people to afford medicines especially in these trying times" but there would be no other option.” She stated.

UNI-PASS, now Integrated Customs Management Systems (ICUMS) has been facing technical challenges since it took over operations at the ports on June 1, 2020.

Ghana Link Services Limited, which has a 10-year contract with the Government of Ghana as a technical partner, contracted CUPIA of Korea to deploy its electronic customs management system, called Universal Pass (UNI-PASS) which is now known as the Integrated Customs Management System ICUMS, for Ghana’s trade facilitation.

Meanwhile, Public Relations Officer of Ghana Link Network Services Ltd, Norvan Acquah Hayford, in an exclusive interview with GhanaWeb, explained that most of the challenges these freight forwarders, importers, and clearing agents are faced with, are resultant of the transition process from the old system that was being managed by GCNET and West Blue to the new system.

He assured importers, clearing agents and freight forwarders that the challenges with the implementation of the new system will soon be fixed, to facilitate the smooth running of businesses.