Issues with shipping lines remain unresolved – GIFF President
President of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), Eddy Akrong, has opined that the issues it had with shipping lines for most part of last year still remain unresolved.
According to Mr Akrong, interventions made by the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) as well as the Transport Minister and other relevant stakeholders did not result in the resolution of the impasse between shipping lines and freight forwarders and the trading community at large.
“Our issues with the shipping lines have still not been resolved, we made several efforts to ensure that the issues were resolved but nothing happened.
“And so this year, we have to move a step further to resolve them, we have no choice but to resolve the issues.
“Aside the shipping lines charging outrageous local charges apart from the freight costs and all that, there is also the issue of foreigners taking over businesses meant for Ghanaians, foreigners providing Customs Brokerage Services which according to law are solely meant for Ghanaians. This was also unresolved.
“And with foreigners taking over businesses meant for the locals, I think the government should put it’s feet on the ground and resolve it.
“This year (2022), we are committed to ensuring that all outstanding issues between us and the shipping lines are resolved, they must be resolved,” he stated.
The GIFF President made the assertions speaking in an interview on the Eye on Port programme monitored by NorvanReports.
The Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) last year opposed what they describe as illegal and outrageous charges by Shipping lines operating at Ghana’s Ports.
President of GIFF, Mr. Eddy Akrong, in a series of press briefings enumerated a number of issues ranging from administrative fees, coded invoices, strange claims on container damage and cargo release processes that resulted in massive delays of cargo clearance adding up to the costs of the importer.
Read This: GSE ends 2021 as second best stock market in Africa
He said some Shipping Lines have blatantly resorted to unwarranted deductions from Container deposits made without recourse to the trader “all in the name of frivolous reasons of container damage which they can only verify.
“Interestingly, they decide on their own without any independent checks as to how the so-called damage was done and when it was done and arrive at their own cost to the importer. These charges are unreceipted,” he said.
According to him, the administrative fees charged by the Shipping lines ostensibly for local work done to release cargo to client is untenable since the importer had already paid his freight at the Port of loading.
“This fee had legitimacy at the time when the state’s capacity was low for which reason they had to augment service delivery through provision of logistics. This fee has become ever increasing and bizarre in quantum even after the state had resolved the capacity issues with GPHA and MPS at full throttle,” he said.
GIFF President warns against removal of border post from Aflao to Akano
Speaking further during the interview, Mr Akrong, cautioned government against the relocation of the border post from Aflao to Akano – both in the Volta Region.
The relocation of the border post without thorough consideration, Mr Akrong asserts, is likely to result in government failing to secure its revenues from the border post, the main reason for the relocation of the border post.
According to Mr Akrong, given the enormous infrastructural challenges present at the Akano border, a total relocation of the border post to Akano will negatively impact the needed revenue to be generated.
“The booming economic situation at Aflao is because of the border post, and so a sharp deviation from it can result in the crumbling of the Aflao economy.
“The removal of the border post to Akano which is in Togoland by the way is not the best because its going to be a boom for them [Togo] because they are properly set up there but we are not. At Akano, there is erratic electricity supply especially at night, there are serious communication issues there, major infrastructure problems, among others.
“The parking situation is bad and the bridges on which the trucks are to move and go through the borders are not good. So we have to look at it carefully before we move there.
“Moving everything from Aflao to Akano is not the best [sic]. Yes we know about the joint border post, but for everything to be moved to Akano, that, we did not know and were not consulted,” he stated.
Adding that, a petition will be presented to Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Ghana Immigration Service on the relocation of the border post to Akano.
