Led by the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), the Ministry of Transport has assisted the Authority in engaging relevant stakeholders in the shipping and logistics sector on the draft amendments to the Establishment Law of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA).
The Ghana Shippers’ Authority Act (NRCD 254), 1974 has not seen any review despite the changing dynamics of the shipping industry for fifty years. Industry players have been pushing for the amendment to empower the GSA to deal with contemporary issues within the Shipping Industry.
According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GSA, Kwesi Baffour Sarpong, the amendment, among other things, will seek to align the scope of GSA to explicitly cover other modes of shipment (i.e., air and land) as well as transit trade and to improve its enforcement mechanism.
Engagement with representative of Trade Associations
The current Act implicitly covers all modes of transport and also, as per various legal interpretations in court over the years. The amendments are also directed at providing the GSA with the needed mandate to address issues in the shipping and logistics industry following concerns raised by the various industry players led by shippers and their service providers over the years. The ultimate goal of these timely amendments is to ensure that Ghana’s ports are enabled to make the shipping and cargo clearing process very competitive, cost-effective, predictable in cost, efficient, transparent, fast, and hassle-free.
The Deputy Minister of Transport, Hon. Hassan Tampuli, who chaired the consultative sessions, explained to stakeholders that the GSA Law needed to be amended to propel the GSA to pursue its mandate of protecting and promoting the interests of shippers and their agents (service providers) in Ghana.
Group picture after an engagement with some representatives of Freight Forwarders and Shipping Agencies
The key stakeholders engaged include the Parliamentary Committee on Road and Transport, Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Shipowners and Agents Association of Ghana (SOAAG), Freight Forwarder Associations, Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), and Trade Associations in Ghana. Hon. Tampuli stressed the importance of consulting key stakeholders to solicit their valuable input as they are pivotal to the success of the shipping industry in Ghana.
During the engagements, officials of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) provided stakeholders with detailed information regarding the significance of the intended amendment and the key areas of amendment as outlined in the Draft Amendment Bill.
Engagement with some members of Shipowners and Agents Association of Ghana (SOAAG)
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Kwesi Baffour Sarpong, addressed some of the concerns expressed by the stakeholders and assured them that their inputs would be seriously leveraged to further strengthen the governing law.
