Shippers Authority encourages traders, State agencies to avoid demurrage
The Ghana Shippers Authority has once again brought together, shippers and stakeholders within the shipping sector to drum home the need to avoid demurrage during the importation of cargo.
Indeed, the Authority has in recent years embarked on a vibrant nationwide campaign to make it common knowledge that demurrage fees are avoidable, and when avoided, Ghanaian traders can gain a competitive advantage, save money and cause a reduction in consumer prices.
At this year’s “How to Avoid Demurrage” seminar, participants were drawn from Ministries, Departments and Agencies, the Ghana Union of Traders Association, Association of Ghana Industries, the Ghana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ghana and the Chamber of Mines, among others.
Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority, Benonita Bismarck in a speech read on her behalf by the Head of Shippers Services, Monica Josiah, revealed that state-owned agencies contribute massively to demurrage, duties, and rent fees owed at the ports of Ghana.
She said, “Information gathered randomly from five Shipping Lines/Agents operating in Ghana revealed that over 500 containers consigned to various State-Owned Agencies remain uncleared at the ports as at September 9, 2022. The details are as follows: 49 containers have spent over 2000 days at the ports. 116 containers have spent between 1000-1999 days at the ports. 78 containers have spent between 500 – 999 days. 205 containers have spent between 100 – 499 days. 60 containers have spent up to 99 days. If we calculate this against the dollar rate, you can imagine how much the nation is losing.”
She appealed to Chief Directors, Chief Executives, Managing Directors and other relevant Officers of MDAS/SOEs, to take urgent action to ensure that consignments are expeditiously cleared from the ports to mitigate the use of state resources for such avoidable costs.
Taking his turn, Deputy Commissioner in charge of Suspense Regimes at the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Emmanuel Ohene said tremendous innovations introduced in the clearance process should be taken advantage of in the avoidance of demurrage.
