On Wednesday, 7th May 2025, the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA), under the leadership of their Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Ransford Gyampo, convened a stakeholders meeting in Koforidua. The event brought together key institutions with various responsibilities in the shipping and logistics ecosystem to deliberate on strategies to enhance trade facilitation, and improve the overall output of the sector.
In his address, Prof. Gyampo expressed his commitment to driving reforms in the shipping industry, stating that while he is pleased to be part of the sector, there is urgent work to be done to reduce both tariff and non-tariff barriers that adversely affect shippers and international trade in general.
He urged stakeholders to propose practical and sustainable solutions to improve conditions for shippers, enhance the operations of shipping lines and other service providers, and thereby position Ghana as the leading trade hub within the West African sub-region.
Among the key issues raised during the meeting were the need for multilingual signage along highways and improved driver education for haulers using major trade routes. Stakeholders also emphasized the importance of joint inspections by the relevant regulatory Agencies to address delays at the ports.
They noted that congestion is sometimes caused by shippers due to incorrect labeling, under-declaration of goods, and the failure to provide required documents such as certificates of analysis, which results in penalties.Another major concern highlighted was the frequent breakdown of haulage trucks along highways, prompting a call for the deployment of more towing vehicles to reduce disruptions and catalyse cargo movement.
Prof. Gyampo proposed the organization of a joint forum for shippers, shipping services providers, regulators and other relevant stakeholders to enable a collective identification of the bottlenecks to smooth trading operations as well as the crafting of pragmatic solutions to effectively contain them.The following institutions participated in the forum; Ghana Standards Authority, Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, Narcotics Control Commission, National Security, Ghana Maritime Authority, Ghana Post, Joint Association of Port Transport Unions (JAPTU) Ghana and the Ghana Immigration Service. Others included the Ghana Energy Commission, Ghana Export Promotion Authority, Food and Drugs Authority, Eastern Regional Coordinating Council, Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).
Prof. Gyampo was accompanied by Mr. Prince Henry Ankrah, Deputy CEO in charge of Operations; Mr. Charles Darling Sey, Head of GSA’s Eastern Zone and other officials of GSA.
