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The Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) has indicated that it is taking steps to reduce demurrage costs, which it describes as avoidable.
It said, for instance, in 2022, Ghana paid close to $30 million in demurrage costs.
At the fifth bi-monthly business meeting of the Tema branch of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI) last Thursday, the Head of Shipper Services and Trade Facilitation at the GSA, Monica Josiah, who represented the Chief Executive, Prof. Ransford Gyampo, said the GSA was implementing several initiatives, including empowering shippers to clear their goods efficiently.
She said the GSA was advocating all players in the value chain to work efficiently, adding that the Authority had embarked on a "Demurrage Avoidance Campaign" to educate importers on regulations and costs.
Mrs Josiah said the GSA has released guidelines stating that importers should not pay for delays not caused by them.
"This move aims to promote fairness and accountability in the shipping industry," she said
She further disclosed that the Ghana Shippers Authority Act 2024 had been passed to promote accountability in the value chain.
The Act, she said, ensured that parties responsible for delays bore the associated costs.
"By taking these steps, the Ghana Shippers Authority aims to reduce demurrage costs and promote efficiency in the shipping industry," she said.
She also advised importers to verify exchange rates used by shipping service providers against the selling rates of their respective commercial banks.
Mrs Josiah said that by taking these steps, importers would protect their interests and ensure fair practices in the shipping industry.
She explained that if the rate given by the service provider was higher than the bank's selling rate, importers could file a complaint with the GSA, which would intervene to ensure compliance and facilitate refunds where necessary.
The Vice-President of the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA), David Kofi Nutakor, enumerated challenges faced by the logistics sector and called for greater investment in robust logistics systems, stressing that it was essential for countries, including Ghana, to remain competitive globally.
He bemoaned the fact that the logistics sector in Ghana was faced with many challenges, such as infrastructure deficits, frequent breakdown of IT systems, inefficient transportation networks, lack of integration, as well as lack of a uniform gauging system in transportation across the ECOWAS region.
The President of the GNCCI, Stephane Miezan, highlighted significant challenges facing importers and shippers, including discrepancies between the Bank of Ghana's exchange rate and the rate used by shipping lines.
This inconsistency, he said, was causing confusion and potential financial losses.
He said the Chamber, apart from advocating policy changes, was also seeking support for the construction of more storage spaces for its members to reduce congestion and costs due to demurrage and detention charges at the ports.
The Tema branch Chairman of GNCCI, Dr Gideon Amenyedor, said the Chamber in Tema was committed to offering its platform as a voice for the private sector to advocate for policy reforms and government support to improve the business environment and bring down the cost of doing business.
