IEAG urges Parliament to reject Shippers Authority Amendment Bill report over key stakeholder exclusion
Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG), Samson Awingobit has said Parliament must, with all urgency, reject any report presented to it by the Transport Ministry representing the outcome of stakeholders’ engagement on the Shippers Authority Amendment Bill.
The call on Parliament to reject the report, Mr Awingobit argues, does not entirely represent the views and inputs of the various associations in the shipping/Maritime sector.
“The call by the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) is based on the premise that the Transport Ministry failed in its engagement with the various stakeholders in the shipping sector to meet all leaders of the various associations in the sector.
“It Is alarming to note that associations such as the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, the Trade Advocacy Group Ghana (TAGG), Kumasi Business and Shop Owners Association, and the Food and Beverage Association of Ghana (whose names were on the list of stakeholders to be engaged but were never invited), were all sidelined in the said stakeholders engagement conducted by the Transport Ministry on different dates to solicit their views and input on the 2024 Shippers Authority Amendment Bill,” quipped the IEAG in a statement issued on Friday, April 12, 2024.
The IEAG notes that the bill is expected to give some ‘sweeping powers’ to the Ghana Shippers Authority to regulate the shipping sector when passed, as such consultations and engagements with industry players should not be treated lightly.
“As you are all aware, the bill that will give some sweeping powers to the Ghana Shippers Authority to regulate the shipping sector when passed, can not be treated with an armchair-like-engagement tactics as adopted by the transport ministry.
“We are told by some industry players who were opportune to be in those engagements, that the bill itself smacks of several anomalies, which could end up defeating the very purpose we as industry players have been pushing for,” the IEAG noted.
“It Is very appalling for an association like the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana which has been drumming home the need to amend the Shippers Authority Act and give them more powers to work effectively, will be sidelined together with other key players on such a bill.
“We urge Parliament to ensure views and inputs of all associations and stakeholders in the Shipping/Maritime sector are captured in the engagement report to be presented to them by the Transport ministry,” it added.
