By Buertey Francis BORYOR
Ghana spends an estimated US$2billion annually on foreign shipping services, a situation that highlights the country’s overreliance on international maritime transport, according to the Ghana Chamber of Shipping (GCS).
Stanley Raja Korshie Ahorlu, president of the Chamber, said this situation deprives the country of value it could be generating locally through a well-developed shipping industry.
“We are spending around US$2billion every year just to patronise other people’s transport services. You cannot prosper as a country or a continent if you do not have a thriving shipping industry. That is an economic fact,” Mr. Ahorlu revealed while speaking on the Eye on Port programme.
He added that while the country owns and manages key port infrastructure – specifically the ports of Tema and Takoradi – a majority of the shipping value chain is dominated by international players.
Mr. Ahorlu explained that companies like Maersk and other global shipping giants handle the nation’s imports and export – meaning profits from shipping largely flow out of it.
He said although these international companies offer excellent service and connect the country to its trading partners in Asia and Europe, their cost to the local economy is huge.
More concerning, he said, is lack of investment in the country’s domestic maritime space, especially in short-sea shipping, coastal shipping and inland water transport. He emphasised that these sectors remain underdeveloped and are key to the nation’s future.
“Our long-haul shipping needs are being met by international lines. But when it comes to short-sea shipping between Tema and Takoradi, or the use of our inland waterways to move cargo and passengers, that is virtually non-existent,” he said.
Also, he argued that the country’s future – and more broadly Africa’s – depends heavily on the development of these domestic shipping systems.
“In an era when global supply chains are shifting and countries are seeking more localised production and consumption, having a strong local maritime sector is no longer optional.
“If we don’t build up our capacity in coastal and inland water shipping, we will continue to rely on others. And in today’s world, that puts us at a serious disadvantage,” he elaborated.
Ahorlu further stressed the importance of establishing a robust intra-African shipping network, which he believes is critical for prosperity of the country and continent.
“We do not have a thriving local shipping industry owned by Ghanaians and, by extension, we do not have an intra-African shipping industry either. That is a huge gap.”
He called on the country’s maritime regulatory agencies – including the Ghana Maritime Authority, Ghana Shippers’ Authority and Volta Lake Transport Company – to do more in supporting the development of local maritime businesses.
“There is everything to be done in building a local shipping industry from the ground up. Until we take that seriously, we will continue losing billions that could have stayed within our economy to drive jobs, investment and sustainable growth,” he also said.
The GCS president was addressing the topic ‘The state of Ghana’s Shipping Industry: Empowering the Private Sector for Growth’.
