Gyampo: Law Underway To Regulate Shipping Charges

The Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, Prof. Ransford Gyampo, has announced plans to introduce a Legislative Instrument (L.I.) to regulate the operations and charges of shipping lines in the country.

In an interview on Adom FM’s Burning Issues, Prof Gyampo expressed concern over what he described as arbitrary increases in charges by some shipping lines, stressing the need for oversight to protect businesses and consumers.

“The Shippers’ Authority now has a new Act that requires all shipping lines to submit their charges to us for evaluation. We have the right to approve or reject them, and that is exactly what we’re doing,” he said.

He added, “The L.I. is in the works to enforce this and ensure we can effectively regulate these charges.”

Prof Gyampo acknowledged that some shipping lines have resisted the move, saying, “Of course, some of them don’t want to be regulated, but that will not stop us from implementing the law.”

He also noted that the port is currently congested due to the government’s decision to license excavators as part of efforts to clamp down on illegal mining.

In response, the Authority has directed shipping lines to suspend demurrage charges until the Shippers’ Authority grants approval.

The proposed regulation, once passed, is expected to provide a legal framework to curb excessive charges and promote fairness in Ghana’s maritime trade sector.

Ignoring BoG rates

In another development, Gyampo further sounded an alarm over the conduct of some international shipping lines, accusing them of deliberately using arbitrary exchange rates in defiance of the Bank of Ghana’s official rates.

Gyampo revealed that the Authority had completed investigations into the matter and shared its findings with the central bank.

“Some shipping lines are using their own arbitrary exchange rate; we have done all the investigations and given our findings to the Bank of Ghana. Hopefully, we will all meet and look at this”.

His latest revelation adds to growing concerns about the high cost of doing business in the country, a topic Gyampo has previously addressed.

Back in February, he warned that the escalating cost of shipping and logistics in Ghana was pushing some businesses to consider relocating to more affordable environments.

“The cost of doing business in Ghana is very high. Some people are charging exorbitant prices on shipping items, being deliberately incompetent just to cause people to pay demurrage,” he lamented.

“Some are threatening to move their businesses to countries where it is less expensive to do business.”

Prof. Gyampo also pointed to a broader resistance to regulation by some international players in the shipping industry.

“Some of the international shipping lines don’t want to be regulated. We are bringing an LI that will regulate the sector…we have a right to make our laws…we will not do that to antagonise anybody,” he added.