Key trade associations in the country are confident the newly passed Ghana Shippers’ Authority law will facilitate smoother operations, eliminate bottlenecks, and tackle the excessive charges at the ports.
For them, the law will empower regulators to protect the interests of shippers, shipping service providers and the business community.
President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) Dr Humphrey Ayim Darke who spoke after a closed-door meeting with the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA)on the rollout of the new law said shippers can now have fairer negotiations with agents.
“The Association of Ghana Industries situated in the principal position believes this is a welcoming document to strengthen the business community. To the Shipper, it gives us the capacity to engage with our agents in a very equitable manner. The role of the GSA is well-defined. They have become like a referee in creating the equity that is needed for doing business, especially at the points of entry”, Dr. Ayim-Darke said.
What the law seeks to do
The law which amends the GSA’s 50 years old establishment law, NRCD 254 (1974) will regulate the commercial activities of shippers, and will primarily address the issue of unfair and excessive charges that burden traders who use Ghana’s sea and airports, as well as land borders to ply their international trade.
It will introduce transparency in the determination of port fees and charges, and will by that, ensure that there is accountability in the legal movement of international trade cargo across all of the borders of Ghana.
It further aims to make Ghana a preferred transit trade channel for her landlocked neighbours, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger; and overall, enhance the sector’s revenue contribution to the national purse.
Minimising business cost
President of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Dr. Joseph Obeng was also hopeful the operationalisation of the new law will positively impact the cost of doing business in Ghana.
“We have been facing a lot of challenges with the shipping lines that is why we have propagated that the GSA laws are revised to have proper control. The cost of doing business at the ports is too high. So if this law seeks to empower the GSA to approve or disapprove charges, then we can now have some respite to do our business to grow.”
Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Kofi Ahenkorah Marfo who represented the government gave assurances that stakeholders will be engaged further for the implementation of the law.
GSA and its role
Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) was established 50 years ago by NRCD 254 (1974) to regulate the commercial activities of shippers and shipping service providers in the shipment, storage, and delivery of international trade cargo by sea, air, and land.
Over the last five decades, GSA has driven compliance with established standards and guidelines in the commercial shipping sector in Ghana, and through Ghana to Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali.
Since 1974, GSA has spearheaded the development, monitoring, and facilitation of transit trade through Ghana’s corridors. The law as passed will enable a more effective regulation of transit trade, and thereby balance the interests of shippers and service providers for enhanced efficiency and competitiveness in international trade.