Freight forwarders protest arbitrary charges - Accuse shipping lines of exploitation

Freight forwarders in Tema yesterday embarked on a protest against what they termed exploitative practices by shipping lines in Ghana.

The Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), in collaboration with the Association of Customs House Agents of Ghana, Freight Forwarders Association of Ghana, Customs Brokers Association of Ghana, and a coalition of trade associations converged on the premises of GIFF to press home their demands.

They explained that the protest was aimed at raising awareness of unfair fees and practices imposed by shipping lines, which were negatively affecting Ghana’s economy and businesses in the logistics and trade sectors.

Clad in red outfits and holding placards with inscriptions such as "pay refunds promptly or abolish container deposits", "Shipping lines and pirates, no difference just landing", "Scrap local charges in US$", "Consumers are receiving the pains of traders", among others, the protesters marched from the premises of GIFF to the offices of selected shipping companies, such as Mediterranean Shipping Company Ghana Limited, Intermodal Shipping Agencies Ghana Ltd, CMA CGM Group, Grimaldi Ghana Ltd and Maersk Ghana Limited, to present their petition to the management, under police escort.

Killer  charges

A past President of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders, Kwabena Ofosu-Appiah, later in a press briefing, laid out the concerns of the group, and said for several years, shipping lines had imposed unreasonable, unwarranted and exorbitant fees, such as local administrative charges, container cleaning fees, empty container fees and demurrage on weekends and holidays.

“The shipping lines are yet to explain to the Ghanaian trader and consumer why they should continue to pay the unwarranted local administrative charges or whatever name they are called by the various shipping lines,” he said.

He added that the shipping lines had also refused to file their arbitrary local charges for negotiation with the Ghana Shippers Authority as required by Regulation 5 of the Ghana Shippers Authority Regulations, 2012 (L. I. 2190).

The Legislative Instrument, he said, was passed 12 years ago and till date, the shipping lines had refused to abide by it.

He said there was also the growing incidence of shipping lines participating in freight forwarding business, specifically customs house brokerage.

That, Mr Ofosu-Appiah said, was a clear case of abuse of dominance, as they had greater financial muscle to enable them to monopolise the sector and kick the local businesses out. 

Demands

The freight forwarders, therefore, demanded an immediate and decisive remedial action on the abolition of all arbitrary and unjustifiable fees, including local administrative charges, container cleaning fees, empty container fees, among others, abolishment of demurrage charges on weekends and holidays. Negotiation of shipping lines’ charges with the Ghana Shippers Authority as required by the Ghana Shippers' Authority Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2190).

Again, they called for a refund of all unjustified fees previously collected from shippers and freight forwarders, provision of 24-hour services seven days a week by shipping lines to eliminate unnecessary delays and ensure the timely processing of goods, especially during weekends and public holidays, cessation of customs house brokerage services by shipping lines and cessation of the practice of charging fees in dollars.

Dialogue  

An Executive Member of Ship Owners and Agents Association of Ghana (SOAAG), Adam Imoro Ayarna, in an interview, stressed the need for dialogue among all the stakeholders to address the concerns.

Writer’s email: Benjamin.glover@graphic.
com.gh