Freight Forwarders, Customs agents to protest over excessive cargo fees today

Key stakeholders operating at Ghana’s ports are set to stage a protest today, Tuesday, September 24, at 9 a.m., against the shipping lines entering the country.

Former President of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), Edward Akrong, revealed on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News with Umaru Sanda Amadu that the protest is aimed at demanding an end to the hidden charges frequently imposed on members of the shipping community for their cargo.

Akrong noted that the protest will involve members from the Association of Customs House Agents of Ghana, the Freight Forwarders Association of Ghana, the Customs Brokers Association of Ghana, and the Association of Customs House Agents of Ghana.

He further disclosed that it currently costs nearly $1000 to have a 40-foot container released by the shipping lines, a burden the stakeholders are fighting to eliminate.

“This protest has got to do with the shipping lines and their boring charges in our ports. It is against the shipping lines of Ghana and how we have been treated all this while.”

“They [the shipping lines] take all these fees and they keep coming up with new ones. It will cost you almost $1000 to just release a 40-footer container from a shipping line. They also have other hidden charges and this is not right.”

“All these come under the purview of the Ministry of Transport and we have engaged them severally. About five of my predecessors have written letters that show that we have engaged on this many times and the time has come for this to end it,” Mr. Akrong added.