The ASHI is an electronic platform by which relevant shipment information is received in advance of a vessel's arrival to facilitate pre-arrival clearance processes. The implementation of the ASHI or the Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN) is a recommendation of the Maritime Organisation for West and Central Africa (MOWCA) which comprises of 17 West and Central African states, to its members. Only Ghana and Mali out of the 17 member countries of MOWCA have yet to implement the ECTN/ ASHI.

The GSA has appointed Antaser Afrique as its sole representative in charge of the issuance and validation of the ASHI through its dedicated web portal,

. Every shipper and forwarder of cargo destined for a seaport in Ghana must register on this web portal and create an electronic account.

The online application process is in two stages; pre-validation and validation.

During the pre-validation stage, the shipper will obtain an ASHI number which he will then transmit to the shipping line in order to obtain the Bill of Lading number and date. It is mandatory for the shipping line to quote this ASHI number on any Bill of Lading and Cargo Manifest issued.

At the validation stage the shipper will have to upload a copy of the Bill of Lading and the freight invoice on to the portal. This validation stage has to be completed within 7 working days from the pre-validation stage. Otherwise the issued ASHI number will become invalid. Members are directed to Antaser Afrique's web portal for more detailed guidance.

As the ASHI is a pre-requisite for clearing of goods at the ports, clearing agents must ensure that their forwarders/shippers provide them with the ASHI details. Cargo not covered by a Bill of Lading and Cargo Manifest with a validated ASHI number will not be cleared through Ghana Customs and fines will be imposed on the shipping line and cargo importer concerned. Regularization of the ASHI at the destination port is not possible.

Jacqueline Tan

Senior Claims Executive

Thomas Miller & Co

London