Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority Benonita Bismarck says the authority is committed to improving Ghana’s shipping sector.

She says the authority is rolling out series of initiatives that will better strengthen Ghana’s shipping sector for the benefit of industry players and Ghanaians in general. 

She says the authority in collaboration with the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) and other stakeholders have been working to improve the capacity and skills of exporters through workshops and exhibitions as part of the National Export Strategy.

Exporters across the country have since benefited from these interventions. 

The Ghana Shippers Authority is also a member of a National Export Strategy committee which has been mandated to produce guidelines for the funding and implementation of a strategy to increase Ghana’s exports. 

The Ghana Shippers Authority has also collaborated with the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) to sensitise shippers and other stakeholders on the impact of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) 2020 Sulphur Cap Regulations on shipping service providers in relation to technical and commercial transactions.

The new regulation is IMO’s response to the heightening environmental concerns contributed partly by harmful emissions from ships.

The regulation has been enforced since January 1, 2020 and it is expected to lower sulphur emissions from ships. 

The authority has the mandate to effectively and efficiently manage Ghana’s commercial shipping, protect and promote the interest of shippers in relation to international trade and transport logistics.

As part of the authority’s mandate to ensure that shippers transact business competitively, it has collaborated with the National Insurance Commission (NIC) to embark on a sensitisation campaign to sensitize shippers on the benefits of insuring their goods with local insurance companies.

The benefits include faster and convenient cargo claims and payment of insurance premiums in local currency, Ms Bismarck disclosed. 

She was speaking at the seventh maritime media seminar organised by the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) in collaboration with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) for journalists. 

The seminar has the objective of helping build the capacity of journalists on contemporary developments in the country’s trade and shipping sector as well as international trade in general.

This year’s maritime seminar was under the theme;“contemporary trends and developments in Ghana’s shipping industry.”

Ms Bismarck observed the media plays a crucial role in the dissemination of relevant and timely shipping and trade information to importers, exporters, shipping service providers and other stakeholders in the shipping and logistics industry.

This she said has empowered shippers with the requisite knowledge and information to transact their businesses efficiently and effectively to save costs and avoid delays. 

She expressed confidence the training will equip journalists to do more. 

President of the Ghana Journalists Association Affail Monneynoted continuous training for journalists is crucial if they can effectively report on specialized sectors. He urged journalists to take the training seriously to make them better story tellers.