President of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), Stephen Adjokatcher, has called for an end to the practice of charging administrative fees at Ghana’s ports in U.S. dollars.
Speaking on JoyNews’ The Probe on Sunday, May 25, Mr. Adjokatcher argued that these charges, which are required before containers are cleared from shipping lines, should be quoted and paid in Ghana cedis to reflect the local economic reality and promote transparency.
“Shipping lines are not supposed to be taking administrative charges in dollars. When you bring your container in, there’s definitely some work to be done before it is released to you. We understand that administrative charges are necessary, but they should be charged in cedis,” he stated.
Mr. Adjokatcher explained that if the rate, for example, is GH₵5,000 per 20-foot container, it should remain consistent throughout the year, ensuring predictability and fairness in port operations.
He also drew comparisons with neighbouring countries, highlighting that freight-related charges in countries like Togo are generally lower, making Ghana’s ports less competitive in the sub-region.
“Even our neighbours in Togo have cheaper port charges than we do,” he pointed out, adding that pricing in foreign currency not only increases costs for importers but also undermines the recent appreciation of the Ghana cedi.
His comments come amid growing concerns from importers and freight forwarders that, despite the strengthening of the cedi, port fees and shipping line charges remain pegged to older, higher exchange rates—burdens that ultimately trickle down to consumers.
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