Ghana Shippers' House Inaugurated

The Ghana Shippers' Authority has inaugurated an ultra modern 12-storey building christened Ghana Shippers' House at the heart of the capital-Accra

The brief-but-colourful inaugural ceremony brought together major stakeholders in the shipping industry both in and outside the country .

Delivering the keynote address, the Minister of Transport, Mr Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey who stood in for President John Mahama, commended the management and staff of the Authority for taking the bold initiative to building the $16.5 million state of the art edifice.

The minister called for the proceeds made from renting some of the spaces to reputable organisations to be put to good use in order to pay back the cost of the construction in time.

Mr Kwetey used the occasion to advise other state enterprises and agencies to take a cue from the Authority by collaborating with each other to strengthen and expand their operations for economic growth.

According to him,government is committed to addressing challenges in the maritime industry and noted that if the expansion works on the Tema and Takoradi Ports and the Tema Motorway are completed , shipping would receive a major boost.

He added that his ministry's directive for the suspension of new terminal charges being effected by some shipping lines at the port is still in force and must be adhered to.

On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers' Authority, Dr Kofi Mbiah disclosed that it took his outfit several years to bring the dream of having the Shippers' House into reality due to funding challenges.

Construction,however, started in September 2010. He disclosed that the Shippers' House apart from serving as the head office of the Authority would also have a Shippers' Brokerage Hall, the first of its kind in West Africa; a maritime administration center; conference center and committee rooms and a dedicated hall for shipper complaints for speedy redress.

Dr Mbiah, who is also the Chairman of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Legal Committee and a member of the Governing Board of the International Maritime Law Institute, paid glowing tribute to the staff and management ,past and present board members of the Authority particularly its former CEO Mr M.T Addico for his foresight,commitment and dedication towards the growth of the organisation and accordingly named the conference hall after him.

The President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Mr James Asare-Adjei, who was the chairman of the occasion said industries are concerned about the turn-around-time and cost implications of doing business at the port and are ready to collaborate with the Shippers' Authority in advancing better trade policies and interventions for the growth of the economy.

The Ghana Shippers' Authority (GSA) was established by NRCD 254 of 1974 to, among others, effectively manage the demand side of Ghana's shipping industry with a view to protecting the interests of Ghanaian shippers in relation to port, ship, inland transportation and other ancillary problems with a view to ensuring a quick, safe, reliable and cost effective delivery of cargo for the shipper in Ghana.