West Blue Consulting has adopted Guaranty Trust Bank’s safe, strong and robust payments and collection channels -GTPay, GTCollect and Bank *737# to provide payments for Import Declaration Forms (IDF) from clearing agents and importers in the country.
The partnership with Guaranty Trust Bank (Ghana) Limited is aimed at offering clearing agents and importers additional convenient channels for the payments of fees for IDFs.
West Blue Consulting is the IT Consulting and Technology firm contracted by the Government of Ghana to implement the Ghana National Single Window System.
The Chief Executive Officer of West Blue Consulting, Ms. Valentina Mintah said the decision to adopt GTBank’s multiple channels was borne out of a desire to provide the most convenient and reliable payments and collections platform to enable importers pay for their IDFs.
“GTBank, like West Blue, is a force to reckon with when it comes to technology and innovations. The bank has carved a niche as having the most trusted and convenient channels when it comes to electronic banking, thereby making it an easy choice for us since their channels are exactly what we need to make collections for IDFs.”
The Managing Director of Guaranty Trust Bank Ghana, Lekan Sanusi said it was a pleasure to have WestBlue Consulting aboard our platforms.
“GTBank believes in the application of technology to create convenience for our customers and non-customers, hence our relentless work in birthing channels that offer ease and convenience to partners and customers.”
Mr. Sanusi further stated that, “We know WestBlue is a strong institution when it comes to IT and delivering innovative solutions and so for them to adopt our platforms is a further endorsement of GTBank’s superiority in ebanking.”
Modalities for each of the channels
For Online Payments, Clearing agents and importers wishing to pay online have the convenient option of paying for their IDFs by visiting the Ghana’s Trading Hub Portal www.ghanastradinghub.gov.gh and identify the payment icon. They can thereafter use their MasterCard or Visa debit card issued by any bank to make the payment.
Alternatively, those opting to pay offline can visit any GTBank branch nationwide and request to make an IDF payment at the teller point via the bank’s reliable GTCollect platform.
More conveniently, IDF payments could also be made via GTBank’s USSD mobile banking service by dialing the short code *737#, selecting the Pay IDF option and following the simple payment steps thereafter.
In all the instances described above, the customer would be required to provide depositor’s name, contact number, National Single Window account/wallet to which payment should be made and amount to be deposited.
After payment has been processed, the customer would receive a transaction receipt with a unique reference number which they can use to confirm payment and complete transaction on Ghana’s Trading Hub Portal www.ghanastradinghub.gov.gh.
IDF and the National Single Window Concept
The Government of Ghana, in 2011, introduced an electronic Import Declaration form to streamline import management process and facilitate the speedy clearance of goods through customs, while improving record keeping.
The National Single Window concept developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe in 2005 is an effort to harmonize and standardize international trade procedures and associated information flow between traders and government.
The concept is designed as a single entry point that allows traders, trade and regulatory agencies and other stakeholders to lodge standardized information and documents to fulfill all import, export and transit-related regulatory requirements.
The GTPay channel offered by GTBank offers secure, efficient and cost-effective means of making payments to and collecting payments by all service providers or online shops. It is hence an ideal payments and recommended collections platform for hotels, schools, churches, airlines, travel agencies and online supermarkets. Once deployed for an institution, anyone with access to internet connectivity and MasterCard or Visa card can pay fees and other charges to the institution without having to physically visit the institution.
By Kofi Ahovi
