Shippers worried about high cost of doing business

The high cost of doing business at the ports and borders of the country continues to be a major worry to players in the logistics and transport sector.

Mr Robin Huws Barnes, Takoradi Branch Manager of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, said the situation has rather rendered most shippers in the country non-competitive.

He said this during a one day forum organized by the Ghana Shippers’ Authority for export and import companies, government and regulatory organisations, members of the Western and Central Shipper’s committee on the National Single Window proposal.

The single window as a facility would allow parties involved in trade and transport to lodge standardized information and document with single entry point to fulfil all import, export and transit related regulatory requirement.

The forum is one of the means used by the Authority to also create a platform for service providers and stakeholders to interact and find solutions to some of the challenges confronting the industry.

The Ghana National Single Window project is being implemented by West Blue Consulting to streamline clearance procedures at the port of entry.

Mr Barnes said the high cost of doing business at the port of entry are as a result of the illegitimate and indiscriminate charges by some service providers, cumbersome clearance procedures and delays in processing of cargo document among others.

The GCNet system, he said, has also been introduced to ensure quick processing of customs clearance documentation to reduce the wastages associated with clearing goods.

Mr Barnes urged shippers to do the right thing by engaging the services of reputable shipping service providers adding, “We entreat our shippers to consult the authority to guide them in their business transactions decisions.”

Mr Adedapo Adegoke, Domain Expert and Customs Liaison Manager the National Single Window, said the project would help reduce corruption, ensure compliance, allow for coordinated border management and inspection as well as effective collaboration.