The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, has convened a high-level stakeholder forum to address operational concerns with the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), Ghana’s flagship platform for trade facilitation.
Speaking at the Stakeholder engagement in Accra, the Hon. Minister highlighted the dual nature of ICUMS’s performance, noting that while the system has contributed significantly to efficiency, cost reduction, and the fight against illegal activities at ports and borders, several operational challenges remain.
The forum, which brought together representatives from ministries, departments, agencies, the Customs Division, freight forwarders, and private sector actors, served as a platform for open dialogue between stakeholders and the service provider. Ghana Link was tasked to demonstrate the functionality of ICUMS, share steps taken to address challenges, and provide clarity on outstanding concerns.
Mr. Raymond Amaglo, Director of Operations at ICUMS, assured stakeholders that the company is working on a comprehensive upgrade of the system. He revealed that by the end of October 2025, the improvements would increase ICUMS’s stability, capacity, and reliability, thereby reducing system downtimes that have frequently disrupted port operations. “Our priority is to deliver a seamless trade facilitation process while ensuring effective revenue mobilization for the government,” he added.
Hon. Ofosu-Adjare commended stakeholders for their cooperation and urged Ghana Link to meet the agreed November deadline for the reforms. She further pledged to collaborate with the Minister of Finance to explore measures that would address concerns over the imposition of penalties and unauthorized charges on traders.
Introduced in 2020, ICUMS was designed to consolidate customs procedures by integrating valuation, classification, risk management, and payments into a single digital system.
The platform has been instrumental in improving transparency and boosting government revenue collection. However, intermittent downtimes and implementation hiccups have sparked criticism among freight forwarders, importers, and exporters who argue that the inefficiencies undermine the benefits.
Ghana Link reaffirmed its long-term commitment to ensuring that ICUMS operates as a world-class system that supports both the government’s development agenda and the competitiveness of the private sector.
As Ghana’s trade volumes continue to expand under regional agreements such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the efficiency of customs management systems like ICUMS will remain critical to strengthening the country’s position as a competitive hub for trade and investment.
