Trade Minister calls for urgent reforms to fix customs system gaps
By Praisebell Rosemond Larbi
The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has called for urgent reforms to address persistent operational challenges within the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), insisting that the efficiency of Ghana’s trade processes cannot be compromised.
At a high-level stakeholder forum held in Accra, the Minister acknowledged the system’s dual impact since its introduction in 2020.
While praising ICUMS for reducing costs, improving transparency and curbing illegal activity at the country’s borders, she admitted that bottlenecks still undermine its effectiveness.
“ICUMS has brought significant gains, but several issues remain unresolved, and these must be addressed with urgency,” Mrs Ofosu-Adjare said.
The meeting, which brought together government agencies, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, freight forwarders and private sector players, also provided a platform for open engagement with Ghana Link, the service provider managing ICUMS.
As part of the forum, Ghana Link was asked to demonstrate the system’s functionality, outline the measures being implemented to improve its performance, and address long-standing concerns raised by traders.
Mr Raymond Amaglo, Director of Operations at ICUMS, assured participants that a comprehensive upgrade would be rolled out by the end of October 2025 to enhance system stability, capacity and reliability.
“Our priority is to deliver a seamless trade facilitation process while ensuring effective revenue mobilisation for government,” he said, noting that the upgrade would drastically reduce the frequent downtimes that disrupt port operations.
Mrs Ofosu-Adjare urged Ghana Link to adhere to the agreed November deadline for reforms and pledged her ministry’s collaboration with the Ministry of Finance to tackle issues relating to penalties and unauthorised charges.
“We remain committed to reforms that protect traders while safeguarding government revenue,” she stressed.
ICUMS, which integrates valuation, classification, risk management and payment into a single digital platform, was designed to consolidate customs procedures, boost state revenue and improve oversight.
Despite these gains, the system has often come under fire from freight forwarders and importers who say frequent inefficiencies erode its benefits.
In response, Ghana Link reaffirmed its long-term commitment to transforming ICUMS into a trade facilitation platform that meets international standards, strengthens the competitiveness of Ghana’s private sector and supports government’s fiscal objectives.
