President of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), Mr. Eddie Akrong has vowed on behalf of freight forwarders and importers not to pay the excessive charges that have been slapped by shipping lines.
According to the President of GIFF, Mr. Eddie Akrong, who was speaking on Eye on Port, many of the fees charged importers by the shipping lines are unjustifiable and outrageously high.
“They are charging for unstuffing which they are not doing. They are even charging for ISPS charges and container returning fees which I do not understand,” Mr. Akrong bemoaned.
He explained that the basis for which the shipping lines have added on to their fees which has to do with the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority increasing their Port charges to the shipping lines is untenable.
Mr. Eddie Akrong thus said that it is unfair for the lines to pass on those charges when they do not offer those services.
He said whereas the Port Authority has increased its tariffs to the shipping lines by a cumulative amount of USD 35, the shipping lines on the other hand have increased their charges by USD100 and in some cases more.
According to the President of GIFF such unjustifiable charges have been going on for far too long and it is about time the Minister of Transport intervenes.
He said his outfit has written to the Minister to sit with the various industry players to see to it that certain shipping line charges are scrapped.
Mr. Akrong also complained about the fact that shipping lines did not engage them to negotiate the increment in charges as the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority did when it planned to revise its port tariffs to the lines.
The shipping lines were criticized for making commercial decisions without recourse to the importing public which is detrimental to the cost of doing business in Ghana.