Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, Sampson Asaki Awingobit, has confirmed that discussions have taken place with the GPHA and all stakeholders about the new tariff rollout.
He, however, clarified that the various stakeholders were not able to convene as a unified group to accept, reject, or present counterproposals for the new tariffs.
He disclosed that at an initial meeting between the various stakeholders and the GPHA, there was a unanimous rejection of the proposed 95% increase in Cedi-denominated tariffs.
Subsequently, a second meeting saw the reduction of the increment to 65%. However, since then, no further action has been taken by the stakeholders to advocate for additional reductions.
Awingobit stated, “Since that meeting with the GPHA to date we haven’t had any meeting as stakeholders to decide whether to push for further reduction or not, there was nothing like that.”
GUTA, in a statement, has condemned the implementation of the new tariff and urged the GPHA to engage more extensively with stakeholders.
The Association expressed concerns that the tariff hikes could exacerbate the already high cost of conducting business.
Sampson Awingobit revealed that during the same meeting, they demanded an explanation from the GPHA regarding its communication with shipping lines about the tariff adjustments, given the absence of a conclusive agreement.
In response, the GPHA stated that it was legally obligated to inform shipping lines three months in advance of any tariff adjustments, enabling them to notify their principals and prepare for the impending changes.
“So we all know that on August 1st, the GPHA was going to implement the new tariff and since then, we haven’t met as stakeholders to decide the percentage we will propose to the port authorities,” Awingobit further noted.
The GPHA responded to GUTA’s concerns, asserting that a series of consultations occurred with relevant institutions and key stakeholders before the tariff adjustments were put into motion.
According to the GPHA, these discussions spanned from April to July 2023 and incorporated inputs from the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, Ship Owners and Agents Association of Ghana (SOAAG), Freight Forwarding Associations, as well as representations from the transit trading community.
The Authority explained that in light of stakeholder feedback, it reduced the initial figures proposed in the tariff and also extended the implementation date from July to August.
The GPHA acknowledged, “The final notice of implementation was communicated to all the stakeholders on the 1st of June 2023. However, some stakeholders still expressed reservations on the percentage increment and the timing.”
Despite these reservations, the GPHA indicated that it is compelled to proceed with the revised tariff due to ongoing global economic challenges, including inflation and currency depreciation, which have heightened operational costs.
The GPHA emphasized, however, that specific tariff items were either left unchanged or restructured to address distortions or ambiguities in their interpretation and application.