Shipping lines have been charging higher- Customs Agents Protest
Significant players at Ghana’s ports have embarked on a protest against shipping lines operating at the ports. The protest, which includes members of the Freight Forwarders Association of Ghana, the Customs Brokers Association of Ghana, and the Association of Customs House Agents of Ghana, is against exorbitant fees charged by the shipping lines.
In an interview with Citi FM, Edward Akrong, the former president of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders, said the exorbitant fees and hidden charges charged by the shipping lines have become untenable and must stop.
He disclosed that for one to retrieve their cargo from a shipping line, it costs almost $1000 in fees and obscure charges.
Edward Akrong stated that several attempts to get the government via the Ministry of Transport to address these concerns have proven futile, hence their decision to protest against the shipping lines.
The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana has urged the government to create a business-friendly environment to boost port traffic. This follows Ghana’s recent slow port traffic growth due to tough competition from Togo. Whereas the Tema Port receives 1.2 million containers per annum, Togo’s Lomé Port receives 1.5 million containers per annum.
This is despite both ports, starting in the early 2000s, receiving about 200,000 to 300,000 containers annually. According to the association, the slow growth of port traffic demonstrated Ghana’s declining attractiveness as a place to do business. The concern was raised at an event to launch the Port Effectiveness and Public-Private Cooperation for Competitiveness Project (PEPP II), funded by the Danish Foreign Ministry.
The project seeks to provide data to inform decision-making processes at the state level to enhance Ghana’s blue economy and improve port efficiency.
Source: yen.com.gh
