CURRENT PROCEDURES AND DOCUMENTATION FOR TRANSIT TRANSACTIONS

Importers go through a number of activities in addition to the standard submission of the declaration through the GCNet/GCMS. The activities listed below are conducted outside the system:

• Manual processing of transit insurance bonds at the bond seat in the Long room.
• Monitoring of movement of transit consignments through Ghana
• Manual discharge or release of transit insurance bonds on exportation of consignments from Ghana

CLEARANCE AT THE PORT

The procedure for clearance is as follows:

1. The declarant submits an electronic declaration or bill of entry (BOE).
2. The declarant submits a hard copy of declaration with the following accompanying documents to Bond Seat.
• Application by declarant for permission to transit goods through specified exit point
• Bill of Lading
• Customs Form C44 (transit Entry Form) front page of which is filled with basic consignment details by declarant.
• Invoice
  
3. Bond Seat officer manually processes the bond. Manual processing of Transit insurance bond involves the following:
• Assessment and computation of bond sum on declaration.
• Submission of declaration with notation of bond sum to accredited insurance company.
• Issuance of Transit bond to declarant by Insurance Company.
• Execution of bond.
• Entry of bond details on back of form C 44
4. The declarant reports at the Compliance seat in the Long room for vetting of electronic declaration and above paper documents.
   
5. The declaration is routed electronically to an examination officer at the port.
   
6. Examination officer conducts physical examination of goods. Examination may be intrusive or non intrusive depending on whether goods are containerized, bulk cargo, intact or loose cargo.
   
7. The declarant submits a post entry for bond sum to be amended if results of examination are not acceptable e.g. where assigned values are lower than should be the case.
   
8. Where results of examination are acceptable, the consignment is released after record of examination has been inserted in GCMS.
   
9. The Preventive office assigns an escort officer.
   
10. The TRANS/1 document (Letter by Officer in charge of port of importation to the officer in charge of exit point stating the particulars of consignment.) is issued.
    
11. Transit sticker is affixed on transit vehicle (Details on sticker are declaration no., transporting vehicle registration no. and name of declarant)
    
12. The under-listed completed set of documents are given to the escort officer
• Hard copy of declaration
• Bill of Lading
• Application for permission to transit goods
• Invoice
• Customs form C44
• Transit bond document
• Customs TRANS/1 letter