President John Dramani Mahama has charged Mr Joseph Bukari Nikpe, Transport Minister and Dr Dominic Akrutinga Ayine, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, to take the necessary steps to address unauthorised shipping charges in the country. 

The President gave the charge in his response to the issue of unapproved fees and charges by shipping lines operating at the nation’s ports, which was raised by a delegation of the Ghana Institute of Freight forwarders during a courtesy call on him at the Presidency in Accra. 

The delegation, led by Mr Stephen Adjokatcher, the President of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders, was at the Presidency to congratulate President Mahama on his massive victory in Ghana’s 2024 general election and to present to him a list of challenges facing the shipping sector in the country. 

The President further charged the Minister of Transport to sit down with the shipping lines operating in the country and investigate the issue of fees and administrative charges. 

He pointed out that the law says that fees and levies shall be ratified by Parliament, and therefore nobody could come and charge any fees within the jurisdiction of Ghana. 

“…We consulted the Attorney-General and you cannot charge any fee or levy within the territories of Ghana without Parliamentary approval and so that must be rectified as soon as possible,” the President said. 

He added: “And so, we charge the Minister of Transport and the Attorney-General to make sure that those fees are brought to Parliament for approval before they can charge.”  

The President reiterated that the Government was on the same wavelength with the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders with regards to the issue of unapproved fees and charges at the nation’s ports. 

“We think we should make our ports the desired destination for everybody to bring his goods through, because it is some of these bottlenecks that are making some of our importers bring their imports through Lome; because they pay less fees, less charges and then they still even make money tracking the goods from Lome to Accra,” President Mahama said.