Members of a group, which calls itself Occupy Shippers, have expressed their frustration over a new process being introduced by the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), which, according to them, could increase the cost of doing business at Ghana’s ports.
Occupy Shippers is made up of members from the Concerned Freight Forwarders, Customs House Agents and business community. The members of the group said the Advance Shipping Information (ASI), which simply means advance shipping information about pending deliveries or containers, before they finally arrive in the country, could add more cost to the already-high priced transaction fees at our ports.
According to them: “The Advance Shipping Information is bogus; it will increase the burden of cost and delay the clearance processes for importers, exporters, and consumers.” The group was of the view that should the GSA be allowed to implement the ASI, shippers in Ghana will eventfully increase every cost they may incur, and pass it on the importer, who will also push it onto the final consumer.
They hinted that when the ASI is allowed to become operational, importers might be forced to channel their imports through neighbouring countries and clear them by land. “Besides, our harbour will be deserted, which will result in revenue loss to the state and a lot of job losses to a country, which is already fighting unemployment,” the group noted.
Speaking at a press conference organised by the group to pour out their grievances, the Chairman, Mr. Dennis Amfo Sefah, said the benefits envisaged by the GSA are non-factual, and that the move by the Shipping Authority is a ploy to amass wealth, and also increase the cost of doing business in Ghana’s ports.
Mr. Amfo Sefah explained that Ghana has not adopted a pre-clearance system, and even if that should happen, it would not be initiated by the GSA. He continued that the destination inspection companies are performing the same duties as the GSA is purporting to embark upon, saying documents of imports are always sent to the Destination Inspection Companies (DICs) for the issuance of valuation certificates (FCVR).
He stated: “All the countries mentioned by the GSA as practicing Cargo Tracking Note (CTN) have so many challenges, and are operating on different platforms,” adding that most of these countries do not operate destination inspection, as well as the GCNET system.
He further stated that the exorbitant ASHI charges will add to the already high cost of doing business in the country, which will be a repetition of processes already in existence, and could derail plans of the GSA to amass wealth and add more cost dimensions to the cost of doing business in Ghana.
“The GSA is making a lot of money from the importers and exporters from the ports of Tema, Takoradi, KIA, Aflao and Paga among others for no work done,” he added. Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, Awringobet Sampson Asackey, has warned that if the new process is not withdrawn by the 4th of next month, the Association will ensure that “No agent pays any levy” at our ports.