The President of the Ghana Trade Union Association (GUTA), Dr. Joseph Obeng, has expressed strong support for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s recent signing of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Act into law.
He stated the coming of the bill will grant the shippers’ authority a firm footing in overseeing imports and exports in the country.
The legislation, which received parliamentary approval in July and was assented to by the President on October 18, 2024, grants the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) expanded regulatory powers over sea, air, and land transportation, aimed at establishing a more balanced and competitive commercial shipping environment in Ghana.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Thursday, October 31, Dr. Obeng emphasised the positive impact he believes this new act will have on the cost of imports and exports, as well as on ensuring a fairer and more regulated shipping industry.
According to him, prior to this act, some shipping lines set charges unilaterally, often leading to complaints from importers and exporters about high and unregulated fees.
He stressed that the new law empowers the GSA to review and approve charges, requiring stakeholders to consult and reach consensus on proposed fees, effectively putting an end to what he described as “impunity” within the industry.
“As it stands now, we are very much in tune with the new act, and we believe that it is going to help the cost of importation and exportation. They needed a strong institution with some teeth to bite and the new bill gives them all the strength and powers to act. So, we are very happy, especially, when they have to approve of any charges that these shipping lines come with.
“They do things with impunity but now this impunity will be a thing of the past. There are so many things that the stakeholders would have to come together before they can even bring out charges and fees. So, it is going to clean up the system and we are going to be very competitive with the rest of our neighbouring countries.
“We give all our support to this new bill, especially when they have listened to some of our protests and reservations and acted upon it. Once all these have been done by a stakeholder committee and we have all agreed, it is going to work well in our favour,” he stated.
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