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A Former Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry in the Mahama administration has said that the New Patriotic Party government “frustrated” West Blue Consult out of business to allow a Dubai-based company to take over single window-related services at the ports.

"I am not surprised at all...some of us saw it coming. I do know that the company went through a lot when the NPP came into power and strangely, another company is contracted...they (West Blue) went through a lot of frustrations", Murtala Mohammed said during an interview on Citi Eyewitness news, Wednesday.

A statement from the management of West Blue on Wednesday said “Customs World, a subsidiary of Ports Customs and Free Zones Corporation (PCFC) Dubai, has signed an agreement to take over West Blue Ghana Limited, the company engaged for the provision of the National Single Window and Risk Management System in Ghana. This agreement formalizes the establishment of ‘Ports & Customs World Ghana Limited".

However, Murtala Mohammed is confident that West Blue’s decision to close operations in Ghana was not voluntary; there is more to it.

According to him, “there are a lot of companies that are crying in silence because they entered into contractual arrangements with the previous government. There are genuine questions that need to be asked because it involves money...what kind of contractual arrangements is government going to enter with the new company that is taking over from West Blue, and how long is the contract going to last? Is the new company going to continue where West Blue stopped, and how much will it cost?”

Background

West Blue Ghana Limited was engaged by the John Mahama administration to provide a National Single Window and Risk Management System in Ghana. They had been operating in the country since 2015. They were surrounded with a lot controversy as some people questioned the legality of their contract. It was alleged that former President Mahama played a direct role in contracting them.

Julius Debrah, former Chief of Staff, on the orders of former President Mahama, instructed the Finance Ministry to appoint West Blue to operate a national single window at the country's ports, at the time GCNet insisted it was carrying out the same assignment. (Click to read)

The New Patriotic Party, then in opposition, raised a lot of questions to the extent that some members said the deal between government and West Blue will be reviewed. (Click to read)

Nonetheless, the company has always insisted that they were working in the interest of the country.