The Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) has engaged members of Parliament’s Roads and Transport Select Committee on measures being pursued to strengthen Ghana’s commercial shipping sector, including the effort to make port charges more predictable, improve trade infrastructure and advance the implementation of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Act, 2024 (Act 1122).
The engagement formed part of an official monitoring visit by the Committee to the GSA at the Ghana Shippers’ House at Ridge, Accra on Wednesday, 23rd September 2026, during which the Committee received updates on the GSA’s operations, projects, regulatory interventions and the challenges affecting trade facilitation.
A key issue discussed was the status of the GH¢720 Container Administrative Charge (CAC) directive issued by the GSA. The Chief Executive Officer of the GSA, Prof. Ransford Gyampo, disclosed that discussions were ongoing with the Ship Owners and Agents Association of Ghana (SOAAG) towards an out of court settlement of the matter, following their request to GSA for that mode of resolution of the matter which is pending at the High Court.
The GSA, in accordance with its regulatory mandate under Act 1122 2024, announced that from 11th May 2026, it had capped the CAC at GH¢720 per Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) for shipping lines operating in the country. The capped amount was determined upon a thorough investigation of the source and justification for the charge as well as a comparative study of its rate at other ports in the West African sub-region. SOAAG subsequently challenged the directive and applied for an interlocutory injunction to restrain its implementation. The application was denied by the High Court sitting in Accra.
Prof. Gyampo intimated that GSA was hopeful that an agreement would be reached before the resumption of the court from its vacation.
“We are hoping that before the court resumes from its vacation, we would have reached a settlement as proposed, and we would be able to keep the Container Administrative Charge at 720 Ghana Cedis or $65 dollars,” he said.
He explained that the discussions were aimed at ensuring fair, transparent and predictable port charges, in line with the broader objective of reducing the cost of doing business at Ghana’s ports.
The Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Technical Services, Madam Sylvia Asana Dauda-Owu made a presentation on GSA’s vision, mission, ongoing projects and challenges affecting its operations.
The presentation provided an overview of GSA’s infrastructure projects such as the Boankra Integrated LogisticsTerminal, the Aketekyiwa Freight Park, trade facilitation interventions and the roll out of the twenty-four-hour service at the Tema port. Members of the Committee sought clarification on the gaps in the functionability of the facilities and their implications for transit operations and government revenue.
The discussions highlighted the need for more freight parks, especially in the northern parts of the country, to support the orderly movement and parking of transit trucks. They further underscored the need for adequate and fit-for-purpose axle-load weighing facilities, and most importantly, o the enforcement of such weight limits to protect the country’s road infrastructure. The Committee encouraged GSA to continue working with relevant Agencies to address the infrastructure gaps swiftly.
The implementation of Act 1122 (2024) also featured prominently in the engagement, with the Committee urging GSA to accelerate work on the Legislative Instrument required to complement Act 1122 (2024).
Providing an update on the status of the LI, Prof. Gyampo said that the LI was currently at the Ministry of Transport and that consultations were almost complete for the next steps towards its passage.
“The LI is currently at the Ministry of Transport. Consultations are almost complete, and there are ongoing engagements with sister Agencies to ensure that the provisions in the LI do not overlap with the existing mandates of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and the Ghana Maritime Authority. The Ministry intends to conclude these engagements before submitting the LI to Parliament for approval at the resumption of Parliament,” he said.
The Committee further advised GSA to strengthen its human resource policies, ensure the timely perfection of title to all its landed properties and expand its operations to more rural land border areas.
The Chairperson of the Select Committee, Hon. Isaac Adjei-Mensah, and the other members of the Committee commended the engagement and encouraged continued collaboration between GSA, Parliament and other stakeholders to strengthen Ghana’s commercial shipping and transport systems.
Members present included Hon. Kennedy Osei Nyarko, the Ranking Member, Hon. Isaac Awuku Yibor, Hon. Nana Apau Addo Frimpong, Hon. Baba Jamal Ahmed, Hon. Laadi Ayii Ayamba and Hon. Jean Marie Formadi.
The engagement provided an opportunity for Parliament and GSA to exchange views on the regulatory, infrastructure and operational measures required to support a more efficient and competitive commercial shipping sector as GSA continues to enforce its expanded mandate under Act 1122 (2024).
