Ghana Shippers demand simplification of clearance procedures at ports/borders

Shippers on Thursday called for the simplification of clearance procedure of goods at the country’s ports and borders to prevent delays in order to boost business for increased revenue generation.

Mr Emmanuel Martey, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), who made the call, stressed the need for the regulatory bodies and agencies responsible for issuing licenses and permits to provide adequate information on services they render to shippers.

He was delivering an address at a day’s seminar organised by the GSA for importers and exporters in Takoradi on the theme: “Reducing the Cost of Doing Business at the country’s Ports/Borders — The Role of Importers and Exporters”.

He complained of the cumbersome procedure in the clearance of goods at the ports that do not conform to international trade and this has been a subject of discussion among industry players.

He mentioned delay by shipping lines/agents in processing, releasing of cargo documents, obtaining the necessary licenses and permits from statutory bodies as well as in obtaining final classification and value examination from Destination Inspection Companies, as some of the setbacks.

Mr Martey said the World Trade Organisation (WTO) required that fees and charges should not unreasonably exceed cost of services rendered, which should be in direct connection with specific importation or exportation.

Mr Martey noted that the international trading community had made efforts to device means of ensuring the use of electronic means of processing import and export documents.

“In this regard an efficient single window system and the implementation of an electronic cargo tracking note or advance shipment information are expected to curtail the payment of excessive charges, which go to make the Ghanaian importer/exporter uncompetitive in the global market”.

According to Mr Martey, experts had bemoaned the rising cost of operations at the country’s ports and borders and highlighted the effect it had on the competitiveness of Ghanaian shippers and the ports.

He entreated the participants, who were made up of shipping service providers, shippers and regulatory agencies to come out with ways of doings things that would reduce the cost of doing business and improve service delivery at the ports and borders.

Mrs Monica Josiah, Takoradi branch Manager of the GSA noted that the causes of high shipment costs were sometimes self inflicted resulting from the actions of the importers/exporters due to ignorance of the law.

Source: GNA