Major stakeholders operating at the Ghana ports are set to stage a protest today, Tuesday, September 24. They say the protest is against excessive charges imposed by shipping lines operating in the country.
The former president of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), Edward Akrong, spoke on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News with Umaru Sanda Amadu, saying the protest is meant to highlight grievances over hidden fees.
They said these fees are frequently levied on members of the shipping community and have created significant financial burdens for those involved in cargo operations.
Mr. Akrong further disclosed that it currently costs nearly $1000 to have a 40-foot container released by the shipping lines, a burden the stakeholders are fighting to eliminate.
“This protest has to do with the shipping lines and their boring charges in our ports. It is against the shipping lines of Ghana and how we have been treated all this while.”
“All these come under the purview of the Ministry of Transport, and we have engaged them several times. About five of my predecessors have written letters that show that we have engaged on this many times, and the time has come for this to end,” Mr. Akrong added.
“They [the shipping lines] take all these fees, and they keep coming up with new ones. It will cost you almost $1000 to just release a 40-footer container from a shipping line. They also have other hidden charges, and this is not right.”
Mr. Akrong said the protest will involve key industry groups, including members from the Association of Customs House Agents of Ghana, the Freight Forwarders Association of Ghana.
The Customs Brokers Association of Ghana and the Association of Customs House Agents of Ghana are also included.
These organizations have come together to voice their collective frustrations and demand an end to what they describe as unfair practices by the shipping lines.
