Single windows at ports no longer an option - PMAWCA

The Secretary General of Ports Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), Mr Michael Luguje has said that practical experiences have shown that single windows at the ports were no longer an option but an obligation for trade facilitation which all countries ought to adopt.

Mr Luguje said this when he opened a seminar aimed at ensuring that countries within West and Central Africa adopt the use of national single window systems in trade chain and port processes, in Cotonou in the Republic of Benin Monday morning.

Mr Luguje said inefficient trade practices and bureaucratic border procedures could become a thing of the past if member countries would commit themselves to the drive to deploy single window systems into their operations.

“For government to increase its revenue base, enhanced compliance and improve efficiency in resource allocation and better country trade statistics, single window is the requisite tool”, Mr Luguje said

The three days programme organised by the Ports Management Association of West and central Africa (PMAWCA) has representatives from 15 African countries namely Ghana, Benin, Cameroon, Senegal, Togo among others in attendance.

Experts from Singapore, India and France are also participating in the event aimed to share experiences and also get member ports within the PMAWCA Zone to appreciate the importance of deploying single window into the port and trade facilitation chain.

Officials of the Ghana Ports and Habours Authority, the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) and West Blue Consulting are also participating in the event.