By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
A Director for Business Development and Commercial Service at the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), Mr. Emmanuel Kofi Arku, says the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Bill, 2024, recently passed into law by Parliament, will tackle alleged high and arbitrary charges imposed at Ghana’s ports.
“We all do hear about high, arbitrary, illegal, and administrative charges at our ports and this new legislation which the authority has been waiting for years is to tackle the high and arbitrary charges imposed at the ports,” Mr. Arku expressed.
The Director of Business Development and Commercial Service at GSA, addressing some members of the Parliament Press Corps (PPC), at a press briefing in Parliament, explained that his outfit has been operational for 50 years, with the outmoded previous law which had not kept pace with modern standards and industry changes at the ports.
“Now that we have this new law, we expect it to address the challenges we face at the ports,” he said.
Mr. Arku further explained that the new law gives the GSA the power to determine whether the charges being charged at the ports (Tema and Tarkrodi port terminals) currently are fair, reasonable, and whether they can be applied at all.
However, he was quick to mention that the GSA will not act unilaterally but will engage with industry experts to agree on rates and variables.
“The new legislation positions the GSA as an arbiter in the industry, allowing stakeholders, including freight forwarders and shipping lines, to have recourse for grievances.”
He also emphasised that effective regulation helps to guarantee fair pricing and charges for stakeholders, especially importers and exporters. Saying the authority will optimism the power the new law affords it to make Ghana more competitive in international trade by ensuring a fairer operating environment,” he added.
On her part, the Director of Operations at the GSA, Madam Sylvia Asana Dawuda Owu, told reporters that the updated legislation introduces transparency in determining port charges, ensuring better accountability for international trade cargo moving through Ghana.
According to her, the updated law is designed to make Ghana a preferred transit trade route for its landlocked neighbours, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, and to boost the sector’s revenue contribution to the national economy.
She also highlighted that the new law is well crafted to streamline procedures to prevent unfair charges when cargo clearance is delayed.
“This new law is an enabler. It will empower the Ghana Shippers’ Authority to better adapt to emerging trends and complexities within the shipping and logistics industry,” she said.
The GSA, originally established by NRCD 254 (1974) to regulate commercial shipping activities, has ensured compliance with established standards in the sector over the past five decades.
