The Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) convened senior executives of major import and export firms as part of efforts to strengthen engagement with industry players and resolve operational challenges confronting shippers in the southern zone.
Professor Ransford Gyampo, Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, described the meeting as a strategic platform to foster closer collaboration between the Authority and the business community.
He said the gathering “goes beyond routine consultation,” emphasising that deeper cooperation was essential to reducing the cost of doing business, enhancing transparency, and improving efficiency across the shipping ecosystem.
Professor Gyampo drew attention to the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Act, 2024 (Act 1122), which he said had redefined the regulatory framework of Ghana’s shipping industry by granting the Authority clearer oversight powers.
The Act, he noted, empowers the Authority to check arbitrary charges imposed by shipping service providers while offering shippers a more robust mechanism to seek redress.
“Section 36 of the Act prohibits the imposition of unapproved charges, we encourage all shippers to report such practices promptly so the Authority can intervene to protect their interests,” he said.
He added that the Authority was developing minimum service standards to ensure fair commercial practices and disclosed that construction of the first phase of the Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal had reached 85 per cent completion.
When operational, the facility is expected to improve cargo movement across the middle belt, the northern parts of the country, and transit corridors.
Professor Gyampo urged businesses to comply with the mandatory registration requirement under Act 1122 to enable the Authority to maintain a reliable national shipper database that would facilitate timely response to disruptions within the supply chain.
Touching on recent concerns over exchange rate applications, he said the Authority was working closely with the Bank of Ghana to ensure uniformity in rate application by shipping service providers.
The interactive session allowed participants to raise concerns regarding arbitrary charges by shipping lines, unclear demurrage timelines, delays associated with processes at the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), and challenges with some consolidators who unduly delay cargo release.
Other issues included delays in processing Bills of Entry by the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and occasional glitches within the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), which sometimes resulted in additional demurrage costs.
Some shippers, however, acknowledged that recent system upgrades had brought marginal improvements.
Responding to the concerns, Mr. Fred Asiedu-Dartey, Head of Freight and Logistics assured participants that the forthcoming Legislative Instrument (L.I.) to operationalise Act 1122 would address many of the issues raised.
“The L.I. will, among other provisions, clearly define when discharge is considered complete to prevent shippers from incurring demurrage immediately after a vessel drops anchor,” he said, adding that processes to finalise the instrument were being fast-tracked.
For her part, Madam Monica Josiah Head of Shipper Services and Trade Facilitation, encouraged shippers to submit formal complaints through the established channels, noting that informal appeals made follow-up and enforcement difficult.
“Documented complaints enable us to act more swiftly and effectively,” she said.
Participants expressed optimism about the Authority’s renewed commitment to resolving long-standing bottlenecks within the industry.
Professor Gyampo reaffirmed that commitment, stressing that the Authority would continue to promote a transparent, competitive, and efficient shipping environment that aligns with Ghana’s wider economic development goals.
