The Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) has commissioned a meeting of several key stakeholders in the shipping and logistics sector concerning addressing issues of cargo clearing delays and other unintended negative consequences that Shippers are experiencing at the various seaport terminals.
These deliberations form part of efforts to cultivate a professional and business-friendly environment that supports the operations of shippers (importers, exporters and transiters).
In line with this objective, the GSA convened a meeting on Thursday, 14th March 2024, bringing together representatives from the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority – Tema Collection, Meridian Port Services (MPS), Golden Jubilee Terminal (GJT), and Tema Bonded Terminal (TBT).
The meeting addressed complaints raised by the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) and other port users regarding challenges encountered during the clearance process at the port, including arbitrary charges threatening their businesses.
Major challenges highlighted included challenges in transferring containers to appropriate inland container depots (ICDs), inability to upload scanned images, and lack of coordination between Terminal Operators and customs authorities, among others.
GSA representatives at the meeting reiterated the Authority’s mandate to protect and promote the interests of shippers as outlined in the GSA Law and L.I. 2190. They emphasized the importance of addressing such challenges and adopting preventive measures to mitigate future occurrences.
Stakeholders unanimously agreed that effective communication with shippers would have averted the impact of the challenges and ensured smoother operations.
GSA urged the various stakeholders to ensure that shippers affected by these challenges which are not occasioned by them, do not suffer any charges. The terminal operators agreed to investigate the various cases where Shippers had complained about extra charges stemming from delays.
The terminal operators at the meeting also agreed to sign Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with each terminal operator to formalise expectations and responsibilities to mitigate challenges and provide a framework for resolving issues.
