Parliament passed the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Bill, 2024, into law on Monday, 29th July 2024 following its successful 3rd reading on the floor of the House.
Among other provisions, the law, which amends its 50-year-old establishment law, NRCD 254 (1974), will regulate the commercial activities of shippers and primarily address the issue of unfair and excessive charges that burden traders who use Ghana’s sea and air ports, as well as land borders, to conduct their international trade.
The law will introduce transparency in the determination of port fees and charges, ensuring accountability in the legal movement of international trade cargo across all of Ghana’s borders. It further aims to make Ghana a preferred transit trade channel for its landlocked neighbors, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, and overall, enhance the sector’s revenue contribution to the national purse.
Empowered by the new law, the Ghana Shippers’ Authority will be better equipped to adapt to emerging trends and complexities within the shipping and logistics industry, protect the interests of shippers and shipping service providers, and improve its regulatory oversight of the entire industry.
According to the Committee on Roads and Transportation’s report on the Bill, one of the fundamental reasons for its successful passage is the need to ensure effective regulation of the shipping and logistics sector to guarantee fair pricing and charges for all stakeholders, especially importers and exporters.
The report highlights that the Bill will empower the Ghana Shippers’ Authority to facilitate the charging of fair fees at the ports and borders, promoting the participation of local firms in the provision of services in the sector.
Moving for the approval of the Bill, the Minister for Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, expressed satisfaction and indicated that the Bill, when passed, will enhance the potency of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority in the discharge of its statutory mandate. The Committee noted that exorbitant charges imposed by some service providers, especially at the sea and air ports, hinder business growth and contribute to needless rises in the prices of goods and services.
The new law is expected to enhance transparency and accountability, and drive improved revenue generation and collection for national socio-economic growth.
The Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) was established 50 years ago by NRCD 254 (1974) to regulate the commercial activities of shippers and shipping service providers in the shipment, storage, and delivery of international trade cargo by sea, air, and land.
