The Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority (GPHA) on Friday 15th December 2017, met with the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana over plans to review port tariffs on imports from next year.
The meeting which was at the request of the GPHA, follows the announcement of the decision to Ship Owners and Agents Association as well as the Ghana Shippers Authority, last month.
Citi Business News understands the meeting was also to seek final inputs and subsequent implementation of the proposed tariffs.
Indications are that the charges will go up between 5 and 20% when the new tariffs are introduced.
The Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, Samson Asaaki Awingobit spoke to Citi Business News ahead of the meeting and said they are expecting a favorable rate of increase.
“We are hoping that it goes well because the GPHA is a friendly Authority.They have been expanding and of course, we cannot also overrule that for the past two years we are not spending but we are also investing more machinery to be able to meet the day to day activities of what is happening at our ports. The port is being expanded and more cargo is coming in therefore we are investing into equipment to be able to undertake whatever activities are before us,” he said.
Earlier, some businesses suggested that they may pass on the increased cost unto consumers if they are pegged beyond a certain margin.
Citi Business News understands some of the affected tariffs are already indexed to the dollar.
The Vice President of the Ship Owners’ and Agents Association (SOAA), Adam Imoro Ayaana explains that the price hikes are to reduce the burden on shippers and importers.
“It is part of the cost so obviously I’m sure these charges would affect the overall freight rate, and as it comes up now then it’s increasingly relevant that shipping rates are itemized so that everyone would have a clear view, because we want to bring visibility. So I don’t know if this would bring back the issue,” he stated.
The rise in some port tariffs comes on the back of a revision by the Ghana Port and Harbours Authority (GPHA).
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By: Jessica Ayorkor Aryee/Anita Arthur/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana
