The Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) has directed that shippers should not be charged for clearance delays resulting from the current internet disruption in Ghana.
Mrs Monica Josiah, the Head of Shipper Services and Trade Facilitation Department at the GSA, speaking to the media on behalf of Mr. Baffour Okyere Sarpong, the Chief Executive Officer of the GSA, said the authority will intensify its engagement with stakeholders to ensure that costs emanating from such disruptions will not be passed onto the shipper.
She stated, “The position of the GSA is that no shipper should be charged if the delays are traceable to the service disruptions.”
She gave the assurance that measures were being taken to ensure that the delays in clearing goods caused by disruptions in internet services would not result in
additional fees for shippers.
Shippers have raised concerns over challenges being faced in the clearance process due to the automated nature of Ghana’s port clearing system, expressing worry over their goods being subjected to demurrage and rent charges unfairly.
She further explained that on Thursday, March 14, 2024, the GSA held a stakeholder meeting following complaints that were received about service disruptions at the ports.
She said that the stakeholders agreed that if the delays are not caused by the shipper, then they are not supposed to bear the cost of the delays.
Mrs Josiah noted that in cases where the delays in shipping and clearing of cargo are not occasioned by the shippers’ activities, the shipper should not pay for the delays.
She gave the assurance that the GSA will continuously collaborate with stakeholders to advocate for shippers whose clearance or shipment activities have been impacted by the disruption of internet services.
She therefore encouraged importers, exporters, and stakeholders in the shipping and logistics industry to report any challenges they may encounter in their shipping activities to the GSA at its head office and other branches, as well as to the Shipper Complaint and Resolution Units dotted at the country’s entry points for resolution.
“This would aid in streamlining the industry and making the cost of doing business at the port more affordable,” she added.
Source: GNA