Korea Customs Services (KCS), operators of Universal Pass (UNI-PASS), the electronic customs clearance system for trade facilitation, are optimistic of a successful business in Ghana. Managers of the facility currently being piloted at Takoradi Port which will be deployed at Ghana's ports and frontiers, say their objective is to reduce the cost of doing business at the country’s ports. According to them, they are unfazed by targeted negative media campaign by persons whom they say have opposed the system from onset. The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) commenced the piloting of the UNI-PASS system at the Takoradi Port after what it described as a successful test run of direct imports and exports at the Eastern frontier, especially, the Aflao Sector, to ensure the system was fit for purpose. Though GRA is yet to issue its initial report about the ongoing pilot process at the Takoradi Port, some entities are reporting that UNI-PASS pilot has failed without providing any data to back such claims. Think tank, IMANI Africa, in an advisory letter to the Ministry of Trade and Industry said, "Our advice to the government will be to shelve UNI-PASS until its promoters have demonstrated value far and above existing systems. "Given that the two systems—West Blue and GCNet—took two years to integrate and work cohesively. It is a wonder how long the transition period would be for UNI-PASS,” it added. These views expressed by IMANI Africa have been the understanding of anti-UNI-PASS critics, who have consistently pointed accusing fingers at Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen. However, President of the Chamber of Freight Forwarders,  Mr Dennis Amfo-Sefah, a Trader, at a press conference in May 2018 said, "The UNI-PASS deal will reduce port charges and make it more profitable for us freight forwarders to operate at the ports. We wish to state categorically that as a Chamber, we are in full support of the UNI-PASS,” he stated. He said: “Currently, importers pay one per cent of CIF as Customs Classification and Valuation Report (CCVR) fee to West Blue and 0.4 per cent on FOB to GCNet as network Charge, a total of 1.4 per cent, which adds up to the cost of doing business at the country's ports." Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Carlos Ahenkorah, in May 2018 also described the UNI-PASS deal as good for the country as it will also lead to a reduction of port charges from 1% on a consignment of imported items to 0.75% on the same quantity of goods. The Deputy Minister also assured stakeholders that the move would rather rake in more revenue at the ports. "We are doing everything possible and if you see my report, it was geared towards reducing the cost of business at the ports...we don't have anything against GCNET, we don't have anything against West Blue but we have everything against not maximising revenue collection," he said. Mr. Ahenkorah disclosed that shortfalls between GCNet and West Blue caused importers to clear goods at frugal prices. "People were clearing brand new Range Rovers from the port at GHÈ»5,000 [and] a whole container of fruit juice for GHÈ»11,000 because the two systems were not talking...that is how bad we were losing revenue in this country," he revealed. Ghana Link Services Limited and its technical partner, Customs UNI-PASS International Agency (CUPIA), Korea, in 2015 did feasibility studies between June and December on the current state of affairs of Ghana's trade challenges and recommended appropriate solutions and systems for enhanced trade facilitation and revenue generation efficiency. Feasibility studies recommended that Ghana should implement an electronic submission system of a manifest for utilisation of cargo information and implement cargo processing status tracking based on the cargo reference number. The new system to be deployed by UNI-PASS is expected to offer Ghana access to a comprehensive world-acclaimed data warehouse for deployment. In the view of the Ministry, the UNI-PASS system is far better in ensuring trade facilitation compared to what West Blue Consulting and GCNET offer. Ghana Link Network Services Limited and CUPIA, owners of the UNI-PASS technology, have according to the Trade Ministry, "been selected in view of the innovative features they bring into the processes of trade facilitation and revenue mobilisation programmes." The Ministry indicated in its letter to the PPA that "with the UNI-PASS technology, the single window system is only a sub-camp agent. It has five main components namely, a single-window system; a clearance management system; a cargo management system; an information management system and an administration system."