ELECTRONIC EXPORT PERMITS FOR TIMBER PRODUCTS LAUNCHED (PAGE 20)

THE Timber Industry Development Division (TIDD) of the Forestry Commission has launched the issuance of its electronic export permits for timber and wood products.
It is based on the Ghana Community Network (GCNet) system in Takoradi to ensure uniformity in data capture with respect to imports and exports of timber and wood products.
The aim is to minimise malpractice, ensure accurate capture of state revenue, enhance record keeping, aid effective monitoring of timber and wood products imports and exports, add value and ultimately reduce permit processing and approval time.
In line with the government’s directives and current operating systems worldwide, and to reduce human contact and permit processing time, it has become necessary for the TIDD permits’ offices to be hooked to the GCNet system.
Another objective is for the TIDD to collaborate with the Ghana Customs Management Systems (GCMS) to approve electronic timber export permits based on the GCNet system.
This collaboration between the TIDD and the GCMS is expected to provide immense benefits to the TIDD, the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and exporters and importers of timber and wood products.
The timber industry is the first establishment in Ghana issuing export permits through the GCNet system. All other MDAs and companies that are connected to the GCNet, are rather issuing import permits.
Speaking at a workshop on the launch of the electronic export permits for timber and wood products in Takoradi, the Executive Director of the Timber Industry Development Division (TIDD), Mr A.N. Attah announced that the TIDD was also in the process of delivering contracts of sale electronically.
That, he explained, would help to fast track contract administration and in particular, make the procedures more transparent.
Mr Attah said the TIDD had put up terminals at its offices to kick-start the issuance of electronic export permits and also to help timber exporters who were currently not connected to the GCNet.
“All these timber exporting companies or agents need to provide TIDD with supporting documents, such as approved contract of sale, wood products inspection certificates, permit invoice forms, Bank of Ghana foreign exchange form 4A, specification sheets and letters of credit before their export permits could be processed and approved electronically”, Mr Attah stated.
He further explained that once approval had been granted by the TIDD through the GCNet system, a copy of the permit approved electronically went to CEPS and the exporter or the agent who electronically applied to the TIDD on behalf of the timber exporter.
“It is common knowledge that many companies are now using the GCNet system for their imports. Our efforts are geared to help timber companies to use the GCNet system for their exports as well”, he said.
The Deputy Operations Manager in charge of Projects of the Ghana Community Network Services Limited, Mr Eben Engmann explained that the electronic permit and exemption module of the GCNet system had replaced the manual system for granting permits and exemptions to importers and exporters.
The new system, he said, was faster and more efficient because the processes that importers and exporters went through to obtain permits and exemptions had been shortened.
“The system has so far shown a lot of resilience and has improved the turn around time for documentation which invariably benefits the timber exporting public”, Mr Engmann said.
He said apart from the TIDD that issued export permits for timber and timber products, other MDAs had been connected and were using electronic permits and exemptions for imports into the country.
They included the Ghana Standards Board, Food and Drugs Board, Minerals Commission, Ghana Free Zones Board, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre.