Ghana Shippers Authority records increase in cargo throughput

The Ghana Shippers Authority says it recorded an increase of about 10% in cargo throughput through the ports of Ghana for the first three quarters of the years 2016 and that of 2015.

Speaking in an interview with Eye on Port, Sylvia Asana Owu, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority said in 2015, they recorded a cargo throughput of 12,886,000 metric tons while in 2016, they recorded a cargo throughput of 14,233,000 metric tons.

She attributed the rise in cargo throughput to the confidence investors have in the economy of Ghana.

“Over the years, shippers have had some confidence in our election processes as a result they are quite confident to go ahead with imports or activities when even we are in an election year,” she said.

Sharing some expectations of the Ghana Shippers Authority in the year 2017, Asana Owu, they be working closely with the Ghana Export Promotion Authority to address the challenges confronting exporters so as to make them competitive.

“2017 we want to work closely with the Ghana Export Promotion Authority because we know that export is very vital for our economy and 2017, we are going to work closely with them to sensitize shippers to go with their programs so that exporters will be more informed and to also address some of the challenges that these exporters encounter,” she averred.

She said the Ghana Shippers Authority will continue to engage shippers to promote and protect their interest.

Asana Owu appealed to government to reduce some of the duties and taxes at the port so as to reduce the cost of doing business at the port.

“As an organization that promotes and protects the interest of shippers, we are constantly engaging them to know what some of the challenges are and over the years we have come to realize that shippers complain about charges at the port.

Apart from the duties and taxes that they pay, there are also other charges that they pay at the port that we think we can work together with the various stakeholders to reduce the cost of doing business at the port.” She stated. Asana Owu charged shippers to avoid the payment of huge demurrage and rent charges by clearing their goods on time.

“The shipper knows very well that when you keep a shipping line’s container beyond a certain period, you pay demurrage and you pay rent charges, these ones are avoidable so we are going to sensitize the shipper to know that before you bring your cargo to the port, you should start the necessary process,” she said.