Don’t assent Ghana Shippers’ Authority Act – GUTA tells Akufo-Addo

The Ghana Union of Traders’ Association (GUTA) has urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to withhold his assent to the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Act, 2024, until critical concerns raised by stakeholders are addressed.

Parliament passed the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Bill, 2024, into law on Monday, July 29, 2024, after its third reading on the floor of the House.

The law aims to regulate the commercial activities of shippers, primarily targeting unfair and excessive charges that burden traders using Ghana’s sea and airports, as well as land borders, for international trade.

However, in a statement issued on August 21 and signed by its president, Dr. Joseph Obeng, GUTA expressed concern that relevant stakeholders were not consulted before the bill was passed into law.

“The Business Community wishes to appeal to the President of the Republic not to assent to the Ghana Shippers Authority Act, 2024 until some critical issues raised on the Act by stakeholders are resolved,” the statement read in part.

According to Parliament, the law will introduce transparency in the determination of port fees, and will by that, ensure that there is accountability in the legal movement of international trade cargo across all of the borders of Ghana.

It further aims to make Ghana a preferred transit trade channel for her landlocked neighbours, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger; and overall, enhance the sector’s revenue contribution to the national purse.

GUTA, however, insists that President Akufo-Addo must not assent to the bill until all the issues raised are resolved.

Below is the full statement.

The Business Community wishes to appeal to the President of the Republic not to assent to the Ghana Shippers Authority Act, 2024 until some critical issues raised on the Act by stakeholders are resolved.

They are as follows:

1. The issue of registration of shippers and shipping service providers were not discussed with us to make our input as stakeholders in the shipping industry.
2. Submission of notice of shipment was also not discussed with stakeholders for their input.
3. The final draft was issued to stakeholders only after Parliament had approved the Bill.
4. Issues raised on the suspension of registration, renewal of certificate of registration, cancellation of registration and outright rejection, which are only related to permits and licenses to operate as importers have not been resolved with stakeholders.
5. The Advance Shipment Information System that had been resisted and withdrawn by the Government in the past is now being reintroduced in the Act. Our position on that has not changed. Moreover, this information sought by the GSA is of no relevance to their operation.
6. For these reasons, the Ghana Shippers Authority had agreed to our concerns and promised that as the Act has already been passed by Parliament, they would use Legislative Instruments (LIs) to correct any defect or anomaly in the operationalization of the Act. However, our consultations suggest that LIs cannot override an Act, hence our call on the President of the Republic not to assent to the Act until all issues raised are resolved.

Source:pushnewsonline.com