Freight forwarders urge government to halt dollar charges at ports

Freight forwarders in Ghana have called on the government to urgently address the growing practice of shipping lines charging administrative fees in United States dollars at the country’s ports.

They argue that these charges are arbitrary, unregulated, and add unnecessary costs to trade.

The issue was raised during a meeting between the leadership of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) and President John Dramani Mahama at the Jubilee House on Friday, July 11, 2025.

Mr Stephen Adjokatcher, President of GIFF, said shipping lines were imposing fees in foreign currency for services delivered locally, describing the practice as unjustifiable.

“There is no uniformity in what the shipping lines charge. Every line has its own pricing. Some are even charging in dollars when these services are rendered locally. This is something that must not be allowed to continue,” Mr Adjokatcher said.

He explained that, unlike in countries such as China, where administrative charges are applied once per bill of lading regardless of the number of containers, Ghanaian shippers are made to pay the same charge for each container, even if there are 20 on a single bill of lading.

“These are charges that should not even exist in the first place. The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority handles most of the activities these charges are supposedly covering. Yet shipping lines continue to collect these fees as if they are operating in a vacuum,” he added.

Mr Adjokatcher also expressed disappointment at the lack of action by the Ghana Shippers Authority despite several attempts to engage the regulator.

“We’ve knocked on the doors of the Shippers Authority several times. Nothing is going on. So we took it upon ourselves to raise it directly with you, Mr President. We believe a resolution can come from here,” he told the President.

The immediate past president of GIFF, Mr Kwabena Ofosu Appiah, supported the call and traced the origin of the charges to an earlier arrangement intended to assist shipping lines when Ghana’s port facilities were inadequate.

“Years ago, a small allowance of about $10 was given to shipping lines to help with their own stevedoring. But with the kind of infrastructure now available, including the Meridian Port Services terminal, those conditions no longer apply,” Mr Ofosu Appiah said.

He added that shipping lines now enjoy faster turnaround times and improved port services, making the continued collection of administrative charges difficult to justify. He also raised concerns about the use of unregulated exchange rates in calculating the fees.

“We have shipping lines using their own exchange rates. It’s all over the place. There’s no consistency, and it’s hurting our trade environment,” he said.

The freight forwarders urged the President to direct the relevant regulatory agencies to intervene. They also called for a review of the Ghana Shippers Authority’s role, particularly in view of planned legislative changes that could create confusion over regulatory oversight.

President Mahama acknowledged the concerns raised and said the matter would be referred to the Ministry of Finance and other relevant institutions for review.

The meeting forms part of ongoing government consultations aimed at reducing inefficiencies at Ghana’s ports, improving revenue collection, and easing the cost of doing business.