Coalition of traders rejects Smart Port Note rollout, demands policy reassessment

Read Comments Comments (8)

• TUC general secretary 1 month ago

  Press Conference loading. The speakers are as usual members of the Nkwaseafour People's Party

  Press Conference loading. The speakers are as usual members of the Nkwaseafour People's Party

  reply
• DAVID O.G ABBOTS 1 month ago

  The Smart Port Note (SPN) does not duplicate ICUMS. My fellow Ghanaians must learn.
  ICUMS is a customs clearance system that operates after cargo arrives in Ghana.
  SPN is an advance cargo information and trade-intelligence ...
  read full comment

  The Smart Port Note (SPN) does not duplicate ICUMS. My fellow Ghanaians must learn.
  ICUMS is a customs clearance system that operates after cargo arrives in Ghana.
  SPN is an advance cargo information and trade-intelligence system or tool that operates before cargo is shipped, at the port of origin.
  They serve different purposes at different stages of the trade chain.
  SPN:
  • is not a tax;
  • is not a customs system;
  • does not collect duties or revenue;
  • does not replace ICUMS;
  • and during the pilot phase, importers pay nothing.
  Claims that SPN adds no value are incorrect.
  Modern ports rely on pre-shipment data to improve risk profiling, planning, and transparency. Ghana cannot depend solely on post-arrival controls.
  The Smart Port Note is implemented under the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Act, 2024 (Act 1122), which mandates the GSA to protect shippers, regulate shipping practices, and improve trade efficiency.
  SPN does not compete with government AI or customs systems. It feeds structured data into them. Without advance data, digital and AI tools cannot function effectively.
  The pilot phase exists to test, refine, and improve the system. Stakeholder engagement remains open.
  The Smart Port Note is a trade-facilitation tool, not a revenue scheme.
  Ghana’s trade future requires advance intelligence, not assumptions.
  
  DAVID O.G ABBOTS
  DATA EXPERT ANALYST
  0271670540

  reply
• OPANYI NANA OSEI 1 month ago

  ICUMS = AFTER ARRIVAL
  SPN = BEFORE SHIPMENT
  SPN IS NOT A TAX
  SPN IS NOT ICUMS
  
  NO COST TO IMPORTERS
  DURING AND AFTER PILOT PHASE —
  
  ????? USE YOUR SENSE. SUPOPORT THE PILOT LET SEE HOW IT WORKS.

  ICUMS = AFTER ARRIVAL
  SPN = BEFORE SHIPMENT
  SPN IS NOT A TAX
  SPN IS NOT ICUMS
  
  NO COST TO IMPORTERS
  DURING AND AFTER PILOT PHASE —
  
  ????? USE YOUR SENSE. SUPOPORT THE PILOT LET SEE HOW IT WORKS.

  reply
• OPANYI NANA OSEI 1 month ago

  I hate people who don't like good things for our country. People have refused to learn. They want to remain in the same gutter they were born. Port management and intelligence is evolving now, and we need to graduate. my brot ...
  read full comment

  I hate people who don't like good things for our country. People have refused to learn. They want to remain in the same gutter they were born. Port management and intelligence is evolving now, and we need to graduate. my brother stops championing foolish things associations of coalitions with NO HEAD. look at the benefit of the systems, how you can help improve it , share ideas, make it work . i pray for you only

  reply
• o Ghanaa. 1 month ago

  SPN is exactly what is in the Budget Finance Minister spoke about. it aids trade and help stops delays in doing business at Ghana Ports. Just like any european,american
  port or asian port . SMART PORT NOTE IS ACCEPTABLE IN ...
  read full comment

  SPN is exactly what is in the Budget Finance Minister spoke about. it aids trade and help stops delays in doing business at Ghana Ports. Just like any european,american
  port or asian port . SMART PORT NOTE IS ACCEPTABLE IN GHANA . I SPEAK FOR ALL TRADERS IN GHANA.
  
  MY NAME IS TOM AYINE

  reply
• DANIEL BONSU ADJEI 4 weeks ago

  The claim that the Smart Port Note (SPN) will cost Ghanaian households €187–€382 million per year is false.
  It is based on a fundamentally wrong assumption.
  SPN does not charge Ghanaian importers, consignees, or hous ...
  read full comment

  The claim that the Smart Port Note (SPN) will cost Ghanaian households €187–€382 million per year is false.
  It is based on a fundamentally wrong assumption.
  SPN does not charge Ghanaian importers, consignees, or households.
  SPN is an export-side requirement, completed and borne at the port of loading by exporters, just like certificates of origin and export inspections. There is no legal or economic basis for transferring exporter compliance costs to Ghanaian consumers.
  The calculation multiplying 1.7 million TEUs by an assumed fee is not a cost-benefit analysis. It is numerically misleading. SPN is not a blanket per-container levy, does not apply to all cargo, where applicable arises outside Ghana. Export costs do not automatically translate into consumer prices.
  SPN is not a tax, levy, or tariff.
  SPN does not duplicate Customs or ICUMS.
  It captures advance cargo information before a vessel sails. Customs systems operate after arrival. Different timing. Different purpose.
  SPN does not delay cargo.
  It is completed before loading and does not alter clearance at Tema or Takoradi. Advance information reduces delays.
  The Ghana Shippers’ Authority does not collect fees, issue SPNs, or enforce compliance. It receives data read-only to support shipper protection and planning, with no financial or legal exposure.
  THE REAL TRUTH :
  
  SPN does not increase the cost of living.
  It does not tax households.
  It does not burden Ghanaian importers.
  It simply gives Ghana early visibility of cargo before it sails, not after it arrives.

  reply
• DANSA INTERNATIONAL LOGISTICS LIMITED 4 weeks ago

  THE SMART PORT NOTE
  (SPN):
  Provides ACCURATE Cargo Information before shipment from Origin and has No cost to importers.
  --DURING AND AFTER PILOT PHASE

  THE SMART PORT NOTE
  (SPN):
  Provides ACCURATE Cargo Information before shipment from Origin and has No cost to importers.
  --DURING AND AFTER PILOT PHASE

  reply
• Dr Stephen Partey 4 weeks ago

  Justification for the Implementation of the Smart Port Note (SPN)
  Ghana’s current trade governance framework relies heavily on post-arrival declarations, fragmented agency data, and foreign mirror statistics to understand ...
  read full comment

  Justification for the Implementation of the Smart Port Note (SPN)
  Ghana’s current trade governance framework relies heavily on post-arrival declarations, fragmented agency data, and foreign mirror statistics to understand its own imports and exports. This approach no longer meets global standards for trade facilitation, security screening, or access to international development finance.
  Across the international system, including the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and multilateral donors, access to grants, concessional finance, and technical assistance is now explicitly data-driven. Agencies such as UNCTAD, UNDP, UN Women, UNICEF, and climate finance institutions require verifiable trade, logistics, and supply-chain data as a condition for funding eligibility.
  Ghana currently uses and pays for foreign economic and trade data, including Bloomberg market data and European partner-reported trade statistics, to inform fiscal and macroeconomic decisions. However, this data is external, retrospective, and not nationally generated, limiting its usefulness for donor qualification, risk management, and national security.
  The Smart Port Note (SPN) addresses this structural gap by capturing advance cargo information at origin, before shipment. It creates a single, authoritative national trade data layer, enabling Ghana to:
  • Conduct pre-arrival risk assessment and security screening
  • Improve customs efficiency and revenue protection
  •
  • Meet international donor data thresholds
  • Unlock Aid-for-Trade, women’s economic empowerment, child supply-chain, and climate-linked funding
  SPN is not a tax, levy, or customs duty. It is a trade data compliance mechanism, consistent with the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and the WCO SAFE Framework. No modern trading nation leaves the generation of its trade intelligence to foreign sources.
  
  Conclusion:
  Implementing SPN is not optional. It is an investment in economic sovereignty, national security, and fundability. Countries that control their trade data unlock growth; countries that do not remain reactive and underfunded.

  reply