GPHA clarifies decision to increase port tariffs

The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority has clarified the reasons supporting the need to revise and restructure its tariffs, whose implementation began on the 1st of August.

In a press release, dated 3rd August, to address the concerns of some sections of the trading public including the Ghana Union of Traders Association, the Authority cited increases in operational cost emerging from inflation, currency depreciation, and other effects of the current global challenges.

While GPHA empathized with the difficulties of traders, the Authority maintained it was necessary to avoid running into losses.

The authority also indicated that sufficient stakeholder engagement has been done, which led to certain reductions in the initial figures captured in the tariff proposals.

GPHA noted that the decline in cargo volumes at the country’s ports cannot be attributed to the Authority’s service charges which account for only about 6% of the total cost of clearance at the ports.

GPHA also disclosed that it has begun investigations into the individual contributors and their share of to total cost of cargo clearance in Ghana’s ports so that collectively all stakeholders can engage to find possible solutions.