Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers West Africa hold seminar on Demurrage in Ghana

The Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS) has held a seminar in Accra on demurrage charges in Ghana.

The objective of the seminar basically seeks to assemble the various stakeholders in the shipping industry to discuss the topic and proffer some solutions on how to deal with the matter.

Chairman of ICS International, Karl Ludwig Franz underscored the importance of the institute to the Maritime industry.

According to him, the impact of the Maritime industry across the world was enormous with 90 percent of worldwide trade being seaborne.

Mr. Franz noted that without shipping there will be no globalisation. "The impact of maritime transport on economies around the globe is enormous. If you consider that about 90% of worldwide trade is seaborne trade by volume, you can imagine what would happen if this part of transport falls short. Without shipping there will be no globalisation and without the maritime industry there is no industry which can be kept alive’’ he explained.

Mr. Franz further noted that efficiency in port operations and the entire transport logistics chain was critical to delivering value to consignees.

Chairman of ICS West Africa, Mr. Fred Asiedu Dartey in his welcome address noted that the Institute was a professional body for all members of the commercial shipping industry representing shipbrokers, ship managers and agents and other maritime practitioners.

According to him, the institute was committed to fulfilling its mission of setting the highest standards of professional service to the shipping industry worldwide through education and example.

"Membership of the ICS is internationally recognised as a mark of professionalism and a significant requirement for employment and promotion in many shipping businesses worldwide. This is derived from the long held principle that integrity, knowledge and trust are indispensable keys to professionalism’’ he intimated.

On demurrage charges in Ghana, Mr. Asiedu-Dartey emphasised the importance of highlighting the challenges that demurrage charges pose to shippers.

"When over 80% of liner cargo cannot be cleared from the ports within the allowable 7 days, then something has to be done, when an estimated 100 million dollars is paid by shippers in a year as demurrage, something ought to be done fast, when shippers fully aware of the consequences still hold on to containers after the allowable time frame has long elapsed, then something has to be done really fast, when aspects of the administrative framework still remains unclear, then there is need for action’’ he pointed out.

He bemoaned the situation in which shipping lines charge consignees for containers returned on weekends and on holidays and termed detention arguing that such situations tend to negatively impact the shipper.

He therefore called for deliberate efforts to ameliorate the situation. ICS International Director Julie Lithgow on her part underscored the importance of young people having professional training in the Maritime industry.

"To ensure that we have an industry that is fit for purpose for the future requires investments in our next generation and not just money investment and educational training but your time, commitment and efforts and most of all your faith and trust in our young people’’.

She opined that the institute believes in equal opportunities and access to quality education and training and subsidised exams by all, irrespective of their geographical location. She encouraged the shipping community in Ghana to continue to have faith in the institute in Ghana and the industry as whole in Ghana.

She further entreated them to support their staff to go and study, nominate them for WISTA bursaries and other scholarship programmes that will help shape them professionally for optimum performance at work.