The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has unveiled a key proposal in its 2024 manifesto to eliminate what it deems “needless charges” at Ghana’s ports. This initiative is part of the party’s broader economic and trade policy aimed at reducing the cost of doing business, promoting trade, and stimulating economic activity, particularly for importers and exporters.
High fees at Ghana’s ports have long been a significant burden on the import business, driving up the prices of goods in an economy heavily reliant on imports. This has a direct impact on inflation, especially for essential goods like food, clothing, and electronics. The NDC argues that these excessive fees reduce profit margins for importers, leading to potential layoffs, cost-cutting measures, or price increases, all of which could negatively affect the broader economy.
The party plans to conduct a comprehensive review of all charges at the ports to identify and eliminate unnecessary or redundant fees. This review would cover fees imposed by various agencies, service charges, and other costs that add to the burden on businesses. The goal is to make Ghana’s ports more competitive and business-friendly by lowering the overall cost of clearing goods.
In addition to scrapping needless charges, the NDC manifesto highlights plans to rationalise port fees by standardizing and streamlining them across different agencies. This would simplify the fee structure, enhance transparency, and reduce bureaucratic delays, thereby minimizing opportunities for corruption.
While the NDC is committed to reducing port charges, it also acknowledges the importance of maintaining government revenue. The party plans to implement measures to ensure that the reduction in fees does not significantly impact revenue from port operations. This could involve boosting efficiency and increasing trade volumes to offset any potential losses.
The successful implementation of these changes would require coordination among various government agencies and stakeholders. The NDC anticipates some resistance from those benefiting from the current fee structure but emphasizes the importance of managing this resistance to secure broad support for the reforms.
