Parliament passed the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Bill, 2024, aiming to regulate shippers’ commercial activities and amend Ghana’s 50-year-old establishment law, NRCD 254 (1974). This bill addresses the issue of unfair and excessive fees that burden traders using Ghana’s land borders, seaports, and seas for international trade. It seeks to bring transparency to port taxes and charges, ensuring accountability for the lawful movement of cargo across all Ghanaian borders.
Ghana aspires to become the preferred transit trade route for its landlocked neighbours—Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, and to increase the revenue generated from this industry. The new law will enhance the Ghana Shippers’ Authority’s (GSA) capacity to safeguard the interests of shippers and shipping service providers, improve regulatory control of the industry, and respond better to evolving trends and challenges within the shipping and logistics sector.
The Parliamentary Committee on Roads and Transportation emphasized that one of the primary reasons for the bill’s successful passage was the need for effective regulation of the shipping and logistics sector to ensure equitable pricing and charges for all stakeholders, particularly importers and exporters. The committee noted that the bill would enable the GSA to set reasonable fees at ports and borders, encouraging local businesses to participate in the industry.
The committee observed that some service providers imposed excessive fees, particularly at sea and airports, hindering business expansion and causing unjustified increases in the cost of goods and services. With the President’s signature, the bill is expected to enhance accountability and transparency, leading to improved tax collection and generation for the country’s socioeconomic development.
Minister of Transportation, Mr. Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, expressed satisfaction with the bill’s passage, stating that it would strengthen the GSA’s ability to fulfill its legally mandated functions. The GSA, established by NRCD 254 (1974), has regulated the commercial activities of shipping service providers and shippers in shipping, air cargo, and land delivery of cargo for international trade for fifty years.
The GSA has promoted adherence to established norms and rules in Ghana’s commercial shipping industry and facilitated transit trade via Ghana’s corridors to Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali.
The bill’s passage will enable more effective regulation of transit commerce, balancing the interests of shippers and service providers, enhancing efficiency, and competitiveness in international trade. GSA CEO Mr. Kwesi Baffour Sarpong marked the historic event, stating that while the new law was a significant step forward, it was not a “magic silver bullet.” He assured that the GSA would work with all stakeholders to resolve any concerns that might arise, ensuring fair enforcement of the law to represent the interests of the maritime industry.
