The Northern Sector Stakeholder Committee of the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) to serve as a platform to address issues faced by Shippers and service providers in the Northern zone comprising, Northern, North-East, Savannah, Upper East and West regions have been inaugurated.
The committee which constituted representatives from key ministries, departments, agencies, and the shipping service providers aimed to deliberate and find solutions to challenges that impede cargo shipment and clearance at the seaport, airport and the land borders and also enhance the engagement and awareness by exploring innovative ways to promote transparency in processes and requirements for cargo shipments across all modes to ensure compliance by shippers.
It is also to explore avenues to reduce the cost of cargo shipping and clearing across the country’s ports, enhance service standards by stakeholders in the shipping value chain, collate and analyze the impact of new or updated procedures, policies and laws in the shipping value chain on shippers and the industry.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Chief Executive Officer of GSA Mr. Kwesi Baffour Sarpong represented by the Head of Operations Mrs. Monica Josiah noted that, GSA over the past five decades has been at the forefront of promoting and protecting the interest of shippers in Ghana.
“We have been collaborating with the private and public organizations in the shipping industry to advocate for the interest of shippers in Ghana through the continuous pursuit of innovative solutions and strong partnership with stakeholders: he said.
The Authority portends the next five years as crucial in the development of the shipping and logistics industry in Ghana with regards to the changing dynamics in the industry which call for strategic innovations and renewed focus to enhance the competitiveness of shippers and ports, he added.
According to him, there is therefore the need for collaboration for collective efforts to bring positive change and sustainable growth in the industry hence the committees.
To position the GSA to effectively deal with the changing dynamics of the industry, a restructuring programme with the primary aim of streamlining processing, reducing cost, enhancing service quality and addressing challenges within the shipping logistics industry is being pursued, he explained.
He noted that, one key initiative under the restructuring programme is the introduction of the zonal stakeholder committees across the operational zones of the organisations adding that the committee would help to facilitate seamless shipping and cargo clearance processes across all modes thereby reducing delays and costs as well as facilitate trade in line with global best practices.
Zonal Manger, Mr. Fredrick Atogiyire said, the committee will foster greater collaboration with the major stakeholders in the sector whose activities impact on trade facilitation and businesses within the shipping and logistics industry.
According to him, most of the businesses in the country are of medium to small scale that needed support to survive and thrive hence the committees to address their issues.
With the committees, the challenges and concerns of the importers and exporters would be collated at the zonal levels and forwarded to the stakeholder for resolution, explanation and education of which each committee is expected to meet twice a year.
Shipper Service and Trade Facilitation officer Mr. Abdul Karim Muhsin said, GSA office in the region has been sensitizing and empowering shippers and stakeholders in the shipping and logistics sector through seminars as well as facilitate and promote the transit trade along Ghana’s transit corridor.
Source: Zaanews.com/Tamale/N/R/ Lilian D. Walter
