| | Business 
[ 2016-08-11 ] 
Transport Ministry suspends new shipping charges
The Transport Ministry has ordered the immediate
suspension of the introduction of the Terminal
Handling Charges by the Ship owners and Agents’
Association of Ghana until further notice.
The ministry, in the interim, has tasked the
Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) to constitute a
committee to investigate the issue.
The decision was taken after the ministry met
with the Ship owners and Agents’ Association of
Ghana to settle issues relating to the proposed
Terminal Handling Charges (THC) proposed by the
ship owners’ association.
Business Associations have opposed the charge and
called on government to reject the Terminal
Handling Charges yet to be implemented by shipping
companies.
The business associations argued it will be
unfair to add unto their numerous tax charges as
their businesses are already on the verge of
collapse.
Speaking to Citi Business News on the latest
development, the Executive Secretary of the
Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana,
Samson Asaaki Awingobit, lauded the transport
minister for the move.
“We as stakeholders are happy with the minister
for the timely intervention because I think that
shipping lines did not have any basis to introduce
the terminal handling charges,” he asserted.
Mr. Awingobit further expressed hope that the
policy is abolished completely by government.
“The shipping lines are already charging
evacuation fee meanwhile they are not the people
evacuating. They don’t owe any carriage at the
port; it is rather the Ghana Ports and Harbours
Authority (GPHA) and their allied companies that
are working at the port that carry out evacuation
of containers and other terminal operators.” Source - citifmonline.com
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