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Freight forwarders call for removal of
transport levy
Elmina (Central Region) – 20 November 2007 - The Ghana
Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) has called for the
immediate removal of the levy on transport charge which
appears to have been unilaterally imposed by off-dock
terminal operators, principally the multinational ship
owners and their agents.
The levy on transport, which is also referred to as
container administrative fee, was first imposed by the ship
owners in the late 1980’s when the ports lacked the
necessary logistics for the efficient discharge of landed
goods at Ghana’s seaports. The fee, which ought to have been
borne by the ship owners, was passed onto consignees
(importers).
Championing the cause of the importers, GIFF made several
attempts to get the ship owners to cease passing on the fee
to the importers. When their plea failed, a Ministerial
meeting was conveyed in mid-2002, which was attended by the
ship owners, GIFF and other stakeholders, where it was
agreed that the charge ought not to be passed onto
importers. The then Ministry of Roads and Transport issued a
directive calling for the immediate suspension of the fee.
However, the ship owners have since failed to comply with
the directive. It appears the ship owners are of the view
that as private companies, they are at liberty to charge any
fee for services rendered to importers without negotiation
with anybody.
Addressing this year’s GIFF’s 11th Annual General Meeting
held at Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana on Friday,
16 November 2007, which was attended by over 200 delegates
from all over the country, Robert Kutin Jnr, the President
of GIFF, called on regulatory bodies in both the aviation
and maritime industries to exercise the mandates entrusted
to them by Parliament and properly monitor the pricing
behaviour and other activities of service providers. “The
fixing of rates and charges should be one of their top
priorities as pertains in the Public Utilities Regulatory
Commission in the utilities industry”, he added.
Speaking on the theme: “Multimodal Transport – the new model
for international freight forwarders movement in the
sub-region”, Mr. Kutin revealed that the most efficient way
to strengthen the freight forwarding business in the
sub-region is to resort to multimodal transport.
According to him, multimodal transport covers the door to
door movement of goods from one end of the world to the
other by combing different transport modes such as by sea,
air, and road, under the responsibility of a single
transport operator. With technological development of
transport means and operations as well as communications,
coupled with liberalisation in the provision of services,
more transport operators are able to provide such safe and
efficient services.
These services he said are increasingly market segment
oriented rather than transport mode oriented.
The President, in wrapping up of his speech appealed to
government to give the necessary support to the freight
forwarding sector of the economy as it plays a very
important role in the nation’s development.
Emmanuel N. Doku, Commissioner of Customs Excise and
Preventive Service (CEPS) and a special guest at the
occasion, stated that, funding is often identified as a
major constraint to creating an efficient and reliable
multimodal transit regime in the sub-region. He therefore
called for government assistance in finding realistic means
to provide adequate and sustainable sources of funding for
new, expanded and properly maintained transit infrastructure
and services within the sub-region.
Mr. Doku said when the country focuses on supportive
measures, system optimisation measures and system expansion;
it will create a more functional multimodal transport system
for Ghana and the sub-region.
Notes to Editors
GIFF was formed in August 1985 by 16 founding members. It
first took the name of "The National Association of Custom
House Agents" (NACHA) but later adopted the name "Ghana
Institute of Freight Forwarders" (GIFF).
The Institute is a non profit-making organisation governed
by an Executive Council of 19 members. This executive body
is made up of a President, 1st and 2nd Vice Presidents, an
Honorary Secretary, a Treasurer and fourteen council members
which include the chairman and a representative of each of
the five district committees. Each District has a
secretariat that carries out the day-to-day district
administrative activities and is headed by a district
officer. There is also an overall National secretariat
headed by an Executive Secretary which oversees National
activities.
The Institute's activities are geared towards provision of
an efficient logistics capability for the country. Much of
its activities are therefore geared towards advocacy for
improved trade facilitation.
Source GRi
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