The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has introduced an e-payment portal system to its existing payment methods to enable clients transact business with the Authority more conveniently through a protected system.
Mr Francis Donkoh, Corporate IT Manager at the GPHA stated in a document in Tema, which stated clients could access the portal by logging on to the Port Authority’s official website: www.ghanaports.gov.gh. He said clients can pay for all terminal handling charges either with a Visa Card, Mastercard or mobile money.
Mr Donkoh said the portal makes it convenient and easy to for charges as a client could pay from their homes or office, indicating that such transactions through the e-portal were not restricted to the working hours of GPHA’s offices.
He said with this, doing business was easy as it saves time and money, and eliminated the risk of carrying physical cash, while serving as a form of compliance to the COVID-19 protocols.
He gave the assurance that, “when you are key in your card details, it is encrypted. No one can see it. We also do what we call, two-factor authentication, which means payment on the platform will not be complete unless you get an alert on your phone and you authorize that.”
“Meaning if someone gets hold of your card, without your consent, he or she cannot complete any payment.”
The GPHA, he added, has also rolled out a mobile app which could be accessed on the google play store for android phones, and app store for iPhones explaining that the app came with four main functions including; invoice validation, agent status check, vessel tracker and invoice calculator.
Mr Donkoh explained that this intervention would help solve the problem of fake invoices produced by some unscrupulous individuals to defraud clients of the port.
“With this mobile app, with the invoice number you will know exactly what GPHA is charging you,” he stated.