Customs Agents and Freight Forwarders to stage protest today over high cargo fees

Source: Myjoyonline.com

Major stakeholders at Ghana’s ports are set to stage a protest today, Tuesday, September 24, at 9 a.m., against excessive charges imposed by shipping lines operating in the country.

The protest is being organised to highlight grievances over hidden fees frequently levied on members of the shipping community, which have created significant financial burdens for those involved in cargo operations.

Edward Akrong, former President of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), explained in an interview with Citi FM that the protest aims to bring an end to these unjust charges.

He stressed that the shipping lines have long imposed fees that are not transparent, making it difficult for freight forwarders and customs agents to operate efficiently.
The protest will be a call for greater accountability and fairness in the fee structures applied by these shipping companies.

The demonstration will involve various key industry groups, including the Association of Customs House Agents of Ghana, the Freight Forwarders Association of Ghana, the Customs Brokers Association of Ghana, and the Association of Customs House Agents of Ghana.

These organisations have come together to voice their collective frustrations and demand an end to what they describe as unfair practices by the shipping lines.
Mr Akrong further disclosed that the cost of releasing a 40-foot container currently approaches $100,000, a figure that has become unsustainable for those in the industry.

The stakeholders are determined to see these excessive fees eliminated and are using the protest as a platform to press for reforms that would ease the financial strain on those working in Ghana’s ports.

“This protest has got to do with the shipping lines and their boring charges in our ports. It is against the shipping lines of Ghana and how we have been treated all this while.”
“They [the shipping lines] take all these fees and they keep coming up with new ones. It will cost you almost $100,000 to just release a 40-footer container from a shipping line. They also have other hidden charges and this is not right.”

“All these come under the purview of the Ministry of Transport and we have engaged them severally. About five of my predecessors have written letters that show that we have engaged on this many times and the time has come for this to end,” Mr. Akrong said.