The Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) at its 29th National
Marketing Performance Awards adjudged the Ghana Community Network Services
Limited (GCNet), the Telecom Company (Allied and Support Services) of the Year,
2017.
The company was
recognised for playing a leadership role in the provision of e-solutions for
trade development and revenue mobilisation as well as being a reliable partner
in the country’s development efforts.
A citation
accompanying the award from CIMG reads in part, ‘GCNet’s relevance remained
remarkable to the revenue collection regime with numerous insights that have
triggered improvements in e-applications such as the Total Revenue Integrated
Processing Systems (tripsTM) and the Ghana Customs Management Systems (GCMS)
among others’.
The citation said
“notably, the relief you have brought to bear on the nation’s revenue
collection exercise has significantly widened the tax net hence cutting
wastage’.
The CIMG added that
the recognition was in view of GCNet’s efforts at bringing technology to bear
on the nation’s revenue mobilisation and trade facilitation regime, which has
positioned the country as the preferred trading hub in the West African sub
region.
The award comes at a
time when the domestic revenue generated in 2018, through the Ghana Revenue
Authority’s (GRA) tripsTM tax administration system has exceeded GHS 13.5
billion as at end of September 2018.
Additionally all 68
tax offices of the Domestic Tax Revenue Division (DRTD) of the GRA have
migrated onto the system and are using it to process taxes as a result of the
completion of the strategic geographical roll out.
GCNet’s has further
sustained its collaboration with Government institutions, such as the Bank of
Ghana through the deployment of Letter of Commitment (LOC) which has enabled
the Central Bank and Commercial Banks to track foreign exchange payments for
imports and foreign exchange earnings from exports.
This has resulted in
over $7bn savings made by Ghana in exports value following its introduction
from July 2016 to June 2017.
Commenting on the
award, Executive Director of GCNet, Mr. Emmanuel Darko said GCNet remained
committed to its core mandate of delivering an ICT infrastructure that provides
electronic platforms for easing trade processes with system availability nationwide.
This, he indicated
would foster trade development and improve revenue mobilization for the benefit
of the country and its citizenry.
Mr. Darko explained
that GCNet recognized the fact that providing tailored e- solutions to
Government and its agencies in Ghana to automate its processes, had a direct
impact on creating a competitive environment for trade facilitation while
enhancing revenue mobilisation for accelerated national development.
In an address,
national president of CIMG, Mr. Kojo Mattah, lauded Government’s commitment to
making the country self – sufficient through its Ghana Beyond Aid vision and
observed that the CIMG marketing had a crucial role to play by bringing every
marketing principle to bear on what Ghana could do to wean itself from
dependency on foreign aid.
Guest of Honour,
Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, Akwamumanhene, praised the CIMG for its
professionalism, openness, fairness and thorough robust approach in the
selection of winners in its award regime without any controversy.
He urged the CIMG to
continue to position itself to take advantage of opportunities that come with
globalization, technology and new media for the benefit of Ghana and the
public.
The 29th National
Marketing Performance Awards was on the theme ‘Marketing: A Catalyst for
Driving Ghana Beyond Aid’.
It is an annual
recognition platform by the CIMG to create awareness about the relevance of
marketing for the success of businesses, promote higher professional standards
and excellence among practitioners and stimulate healthy competition among
organisations, while ensuring improved quality of products and services offered
by organisations.
GNA