The Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders, customs agents, and other concerned stakeholders have embarked on a protest in Tema in the Greater Accra Region.
The groups are expressing their displeasure against what they describe as exploitative charges at the ports.
According to them, this makes the cost of doing business at the port burdensome.
The groups marched to the various shipping lines to present their petition after which they served same to the Ministries of Transport and Trade and Industry.
Speaking to Channel One News, Bismark Ocansey, a freight forwarder expressed deep dissatisfaction with the current port operations, claiming that the high fees are driving importers to seek alternatives.
“We are protesting because the shipping lines are cheating us; they are killing our work. Most of our importers are now using the Togo port because of the charges we are facing here,” he said.
He highlighted the impact of unexpected costs on their operations.
He recounted a recent incident where a malfunctioning APS scanner delayed his container’s processing, resulting in a demurrage charge of approximately GH¢10,000, despite the delay not being his fault.
“It is high time we let the shipping lines know they are cheating us,” Ocansey stated, adding that he had to go to great lengths to explain the situation to his importer, who was frustrated by the additional costs.
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