DHL organizes 6th Parcel Conference
Atiku Iddrisu | Posted: Thursday, November 10, 2005
DHL, an international express, logistics and supply management firm, will open a multi million-dollar gateway facility at the Kotoka International Airport, Accra, in early 2006. The facility will consist of two Express Logistics Centres equipped with a state of the art equipment to enable DHL to offer supply chain services to clients in various sectors. These include the pharmaceutical, automotive, mining, manufacturing and ICT sectors.
Mr. Jean-Alfred Anodjo, DHL Zone 5 Regional General Manager, made the disclosure yesterday at the opening of the 6th DHL Parcel Conference at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra. The conference was to create a useful platform for all stakeholders involved in logistics and supply chain management to discuss pertinent issues affecting their operations.
Present at the conference were representatives of air express, logistics and courier companies, freight forwarders, the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) and the Ghana Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Anodjo said it was imperative to have an efficient customs operation at Ghanas ports, as the government has proclaimed the "Golden Age of Business". He conceded that the deployment of the GCNET system has enabled CEPS to improve on revenue collection and in some cases helped to expedite the process of clearing goods at the ports.
Mr. Anodjo, however, noted that some importers and freight forwarders still complain about some delays in clearance of packages a situation he described as "impinging negatively" on the supply chain process. "It is against this backdrop that DHL Ghana is collaborating with CEPS to dedicate this years conference to providing a platform to enable concerned agencies and stakeholders to review the impact of the Ghana Customs Management System (GCMS) on their businesses" Stakeholders will also have the opportunity to discuss with CEPS other pertinent issues relating to clearance procedures, customs duties, exemptions, document handling and processing", he said.
The Minister of Roads and Transport, Dr. Richard Anane, described the conference as relevant and appropriate. He said it demonstrates the capacity and willingness of the private sector to establish bridges of collaboration with government in a collective effort to develop the economy.
He said the DHL initiative recognizes the fact that cooperation between a client and its logistics partner is needed to plan and manage the entire supply chain. Dr. Anane commended DHL for the effort and urged it to increase the participation of stakeholders in future conferences. Mr. Harry Owusu, Executive Secretary of Revenue Agencies Governing Board, chaired the event.
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