Africa-Press – Ghana. Professor Ransford Gyampo, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA), has said the Authority remains committed to promoting a transparent, competitive, and efficient shipping environment.
He was speaking at a stakeholder meeting in Accra with senior executives of import and export firms, where he said the first phase of the Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal, reported to be 85 per cent complete, would ease cargo movement between the middle belt, northern Ghana, and transit countries once “fully operational.”
In a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, Prof Gyampo highlighted the development of “minimum service standards” to guide fair industry practices and urged shippers to register with the GSA, as required by law, to support the creation of a reliable operator database.
He noted that the Authority was collaborating with the Bank of Ghana to ensure uniformity in exchange-rate applications by shipping service providers to promote “fairness and consistency in billing.”
Prof Gyampo described the engagement as “a critical step towards building a stronger, more transparent partnership between the GSA and shippers.”
“It is a deliberate attempt to bridge the gap between regulators and industry players so that together we can drive down the cost of doing business and enhance efficiency in the shipping sector,” he stated.
He said the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Act, 2024 (Act 1122), would empower the Authority to address arbitrary charges by shipping service providers and allow shippers to lodge complaints for binding and enforceable resolutions.
“Section 36 of the Act prohibits the imposition of unapproved charges. This is an important safeguard for the business community, and I encourage every shipper to report any such charges so we can act swiftly to protect your interests,” he said.
The meeting brought together stakeholders from the shipping, logistics, and manufacturing sectors, including Ghacem, Diamond Cement, Labianca Company Limited, Forewin Ghana, Toyota Ghana, Japan Motors, Wilmar Africa, Nestlé Ghana, and Newmont Ghana.
Participants raised concerns over arbitrary charges by shipping lines, unclear demurrage timelines, and delays caused by other agencies during cargo release processes.
Mr Fred Asiedu-Dartey, Head of Freight and Logistics at the GSA, assured participants that the forthcoming Legislative Instrument (L.I.) to operationalise Act 1122 would address these issues.
“The L.I. will, among other things, spell out clearly when discharge is deemed complete, so that shippers are not unfairly charged demurrage from the moment a vessel drops anchor,”
he said, adding that the Authority was fast-tracking the law’s approval to enhance regulatory clarity.
Mrs Monica Josiah, Head of Shipper Services and Trade Facilitation, urged shippers to submit formal complaints to the GSA rather than relying on informal channels.
“We can only take pragmatic steps to intervene when issues are properly documented. Verbal complaints make it difficult to follow through with enforcement,” she noted.
Other officials present included Deputy Chief Executives Madam Asana Owu (Technical Services), Mr Henry Ankrah (Operations), and Mr Charles Sey (Zonal Head, Eastern Zone).
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