The Head of Public Relations at the Institute of Freight Forwarders, Jacob Agyemang, has called for the complete removal of Container Administrative Charges at Ghana’s ports, arguing that the justification for the fee no longer exists.

His comments come amid ongoing reforms by the Ghana Shippers’ Authority aimed at reducing the cost of doing business at the country’s ports.

The reforms, introduced under the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Act, 2024 (Act 1122), place a regulatory cap on charges imposed by shipping lines following stakeholder consultations and comparative studies across the West African sub-region.

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Under the policy, the GSA introduced a GH¢550 cap per Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) on Container Administrative Charges. However, implementation of the new rate was postponed by the Ministry of Transport to July 1, 2026, with an interim charge of GH¢720 per TEU maintained in the meantime.

The policy has since faced resistance from some industry players, with legal action also seeking to halt its implementation.

Speaking in an interview on Channel One TV on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, Mr Agyemang maintained that the charge had outlived its relevance and should be abolished entirely.

“This charge has been there for quite a number of years, and the basis for it being charged as at that time was because of a lack of certain facilities when these container facilities call at the port. As we speak today, they don’t have any basis for the collection of those monies,” he stated.

He further stressed that freight forwarders strongly opposed the continued application of the charge during engagements with authorities.

“So we believe that it should even be totally scrapped. That is our position, and when we met, that was our strong position. We believe that it should be scrapped completely,” he added.

Despite opposition, the Ghana Shippers’ Authority has maintained that the reforms are intended to improve port efficiency while easing the financial burden on importers and exporters.

The Authority has also indicated that it remains committed to defending the policy while continuing engagements with stakeholders across the shipping and logistics sector.

ANAS/SEA

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