Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Green Economy
  • Business
    • Agribusiness
    • Aviation
    • Banking & Finance
    • Companies
    • Education
    • Energy
    • Fisheries and Aquaculture
    • Health
    • Insurance
    • Features
  • Opinions
    • Dr. Maxwell Ampong
    • Alberta Quarcoopome
    • Nana Yaa Ofori-Atta
  • Reports
  • BFT TV
  • Events
    • Ghana Economic Forum
    • African Energy Conference
    • The Money Summit
    • Youth Economic Forum
  • Subscribe
  • Sign In
Search
Monday, June 2, 2025
Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter Youtube
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Create an account
Privacy Policy
Create an account
Welcome! Register for an account
A password will be e-mailed to you.
Privacy Policy
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
The Business & Financial Times
  • Home
  • Economy
    • Green Economy
  • Business
    • Agribusiness
    • Aviation
    • Banking & Finance
    • Companies
    • Education
    • Energy
    • Fisheries and Aquaculture
    • Health
    • Insurance
    • Features
  • Opinions
    • Dr. Maxwell Ampong
    • Alberta Quarcoopome
    • Nana Yaa Ofori-Atta
  • Reports
  • BFT TV
  • Events
    • Ghana Economic Forum
    • African Energy Conference
    • The Money Summit
    • Youth Economic Forum
  • Subscribe
  • Sign In
Home Headlines Shippers Authority push for demurrage-free port through strategic engagement with MDAs ...
  • Headlines
  • Business
  • Maritime
  • News
  • Top Headlines

Shippers Authority push for demurrage-free port through strategic engagement with MDAs  

May 6, 2024
0
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp
Email
Print
    Director of Operations at GSA, Mrs. Sylvia Asana Dauda Owu addressing the gathering

    By Mohammed AWAL 

    Importers have long grappled with the burden of cargo detention, demurrage, and other charges stemming from terminal delays and rent charges.

    According to them, some of these charges, though they may have begun as cost-center incentives to increase cargo throughput, have now become profit-seeking measures used by many commercial port agencies to offset their profit shortfalls in cargo throughput.

    There remains overwhelming evidence that these charges provide no incentive for the rapid movement of cargo but have exacerbated the costly financial hurdles that shippers encounter as they engage with various ports to clear their goods.

    GPHA’s Marketing and Corporate Affairs Manager, Nana Esi Soderberg addressing the gathering

    Over recent years, the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) has been inundated with complaints from shippers concerning demurrage fees levied by shipping lines, and other charges from some terminal operators despite delays not being attributed to the shippers themselves.

    All around the world, well-known ports do not charge demurrage during holidays and weekends, nor do they charge demurrage on cargo when it is held by customs. Yet, shippers in Ghana continue to experience these charges anyway. Continuous collaboration between GSA and the Shipping lines from 2017 saw a significant decline in Demurrage charges, but they have been on the rise in the last couple of years.

    To tackle this challenge, the GSA launched the “Avoiding Demurrage and Rent” seminar series in 2018. The initiative aims to educate shippers about the significance of initiating clearance procedures for goods before their arrival at the port, thereby reducing the likelihood of incurring demurrage charges.

    The GSA has initiated steps to establish Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with Shipping Service Providers on behalf of shippers, aiming to promote accountability within the shipping and logistics sector. These agreements will outline the obligations of shipping service providers to shippers, streamline port clearance processes, clarify time-related shipping costs, offer guidance on cost avoidance strategies, and delineate the role of the GSA in this context.

    Mr. Kwesi Baffour Sarpong, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GSA, announced these developments in a speech read on his behalf by the Director of Operations at GSA, Mrs. Sylvia Asana Dauda Owu during a workshop on “Avoiding Demurrage and Rent” for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) held at the Shippers’ House in Accra on Tuesday, 23rd April 2024.

    A participant making some remarks.

    The GSA’s targeted campaign toward the MDAs was spurred by research findings indicating that government agencies rank among the top payers of demurrage charges.

    Mrs. Sylvia Asana Dauda Owu reiterated the Authority’s commitment to the long-term establishment of “demurrage-free ports” in Ghana in the interest of shippers and the national economy. The GSA is actively working to enforce the provisions outlined in the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Regulations 2012 (L.I. 2190), with a specific focus on Section 6, which outlines service standards designed to uphold minimum quality levels in shipping services provided to shippers. Additionally, Mrs. Owu entreated MDAs and the leadership of State-Owned Enterprises to expedite the clearance of consignments from ports to mitigate avoidable costs incurred using state resources.

    Mrs. Monica Josiah, Head of Shipper Services and Trade Facilitation department at GSA, appealed to MDAs responsible for granting permits and licenses to shippers to be mindful of the services they provide to avoid demurrage charges. Participants, including freight forwarders and representatives of various MDAs, emphasized the importance of staying informed about new developments that could be crucial for operating a cost-effective business.

    SOURCEthebftonline.com
    • TAGS
    • Shippers Authority push for demurrage-free port through strategic engagement with MDAs
    Facebook
    Twitter
    WhatsApp
    Email
    Print
      Previous articleDigital Services Tax: Adapting to new taxation norms
      Next articleWhat happened to the ‘God factor’ in our financial services industry?…pressure everywhere (3)
      Juliet Etefe

      RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

      Business

      Zoomlion expands African footprint, secures Lagos contract & signs Waste Management MOUs with Congo and Ethiopia

      Business

      Gov’t assures support for Ghana Bauxite’s smooth operations

      Business

      ADB MD urges manufacturers to leverage current economic environment for growth

      LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

      Log in to leave a comment

      Read Today's E-Paper









      Recent Posts

      Rescuing employment contracts in times of disruption – a COVID-19 case study

      Seidu Agongo supports 4,600 widows, single mothers with MoMo transfers

      ADB to support outgrower farmers under IDIF

      The world must avoid another food crisis

      GSE to welcome new mining venture by end of Q1

      Most Popular

      Ghana to host African Political Parties Summit

      The Africa Governance Centre, in partnership with the Government of Ghana, will host the African Political Parties Summit from 12th to 14th August 2025...

      Zoomlion expands African footprint, secures Lagos contract & signs Waste Management MOUs with Congo...

      Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZGL), a leading waste management company under the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), continues to make significant strides in expanding its...

      Gov’t assures support for Ghana Bauxite’s smooth operations

      The Western North Regional Minister, Wilbert Petty Brentum, has commended the Ghana Bauxite Company Limited for its successful operations at Awaso in the Western...

      ADB MD urges manufacturers to leverage current economic environment for growth

      The Managing Director of the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), Edward Ato Sarpong, has called on manufacturing companies to take full advantage of the current...

      Employers’ Association holds 4th annual leadership conference

      By Wisdom JONNY-NUEKPE The Ghana Employers’ Association (GEA) held its 4th Annual Leadership Conference (ALC) in Accra, with a call on public and corporate institutions...

      About Us

      • About B&FT
      • Contact Us
      • FAQ
      • Webmail

      Legal & Privacy

      • Term & Conditions
      • Privacy Policy
      • Copyright
      • Cookies

      Services & Tools

      • Today's E-Paper
      • Individual Subscriptions
      • Group Subscriptions
      • Advertise
      • Android App
      © The Business & Financial Times. Copyright 2025. All rights reserved.
      MORE STORIES
      Business

      Ghana to host African Political Parties Summit