Charles Noah – SUPERIOR LOGISTICS AND CONTAINER SERVICES LTD

GHANA SHIPPERS AUTHORITY ORGANIZES SEMINAR ON CONTAINER DEMURRAGE FOR GUTA

Charles Noah — Mon, 07 May 2018 16:15:03 +0000

Demurrage charges refer to fees payable by importers when their import containers are not cleared and remain under the control of the shipping line beyond the stipulated seven days due to delays.
At a seminar organized by the Ghana Shippers Authority and participated by agencies including, the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ship Owners and Agents Association of Ghana (SOAAG), Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders(GIFF), a Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Shippers Authority, Sylvia Asana Dauda assured stakeholders that her outfit will lead a vibrant sensitization agenda to educate shippers on how to avoid demurrages.
“As an organization, we have taken it upon ourselves to engage various stakeholders so we can delve into the issue of demurrage and come out with the practical challenges that shippers are facing so that see how best we can tackle this issue to reduce the payment of demurrages to the barest minimum”, she expressed.
The President of the Ghana Union of Trade Association (GUTA), Joseph Obeng advised traders to do their best and prevent the payment of demurrages, in order to avoid high cost of doing business at the Ports.
“We are telling them to secure demurrage free from the onset of the shipping of their products from their suppliers,” he encouraged.
Vice President of the Ship Owners and Agents Association of Ghana, Adam Imoro Ayarna advised shippers to always engage the clearing agents to negotiate additional free days any time they observe that their clearance will delay instead of waiting to default the stipulated timeframe.
Nana Esi Soderberg, Executive Assistant to the Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, urged importers to familiarize themselves with clearance charges and procedures before embarking on their shipping business.
“What are the documentations, what are the cost that each of these parties require? It is very important at the beginning to break these down,” she urged.
The President of Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), Kwabena Ofosu Appiah reminded the participants that in the Revenue Laws, Customs Act 2009, Section 44 (5), Saturdays, Sundays or Public holidays are not to be added to the free seven days of clearance hence should not be used in calculating demurrages.
“If they have a special dispensation for which reason their count is different, we will have to know and get is established,” he added.
Demurrage charges are said to have impacts on the Ghanaian economy, due to the effects it has on the cost of imports and eventually results in high cost of living.

CEO OF BURKINA SHIPPERS AUTHORITY PAYS COURTESY CALL ON DG OF GPHA

Charles Noah — Mon, 07 May 2018 16:12:32 +0000

The Chief Executive Officer of Burkina Shippers Authority Herve Ilboudo, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Shippers Authority Benonita Bismarck and other management members of the Ghana Shippers Authority have paid a courtesy call on the Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Paul Asare Ansah. The visit is to revive the existing good relations between the trade community in Burkina Faso and Ghana.

The CEO of Burkina Shippers Authority Herve Ilboudo hinted that her outfit is currently studying a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) intended to improve transit trade between Ghana and Burkina Faso.

“Our wish is to sign the MOU one day. We will look at the MOU and come up with something that can benefit both of us,” he stated.

The Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Paul Asare Ansah highlighted some plans by his organization towards promoting the Ghanaian corridor to the three transit countries of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

“Since we returned from Burkina, the issues that were raised, we have started addressing them very effectively. Others that also emerged in Niger, we are taking the necessary steps to address them to ensure that the Ghanaian corridor becomes most competitive and most user-friendly for the landlocked countries,” he said.

The Port Authority Boss hinted that, top on his agenda at the moment is to improve the transit park at Paga to support the trade.

“The immediate thing that we are working towards addressing is the transit park at Paga- Very dusty and very unhealthy. And we have initiated the measures to pave the entire place,” he noted.

PAUL ANSAH AWARDED BEST MARITIME AND PORTS INDUSTRY CEO OF THE YEAR

Charles Noah — Mon, 07 May 2018 16:09:09 +0000

The Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Paul Asare Ansah has picked up two separate awards for his meritorious service to the Port Authority.

The first award was at the 8th Edition of the Ghana Entrepreneurs and Corporate Executive Awards, where Paul Ansah was awarded the Best Maritime and Ports Industry CEO of the Year.

He was among Ghana’s top entrepreneurs and executives who were celebrated.

Paul Ansah was awarded for implementing policies that sustain Ghana’s ports as the preferred port within the sub-region.

His commitment to fetch business for the maritime economy by courting trade partners from the Sahelian regions, his drive to ensure the effective operation of the paperless regime and his attempt to augment the export sector through collaborative efforts with other stakeholders culminated into him being awarded.

After receiving the award for best Maritime and Ports Industry CEO of the Year, Paul Ansah said he is honoured to receive the award on behalf of the organisation saying it is testament to the work that has been put in. “I dedicate the award to the entire workforce and able management,” he said.

He assured that, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority is even more charged now to put in their best to promote the port and diversify its functions in order to maintain its position of being among the best.

“We are diversifying our activities, strong promotion for transit and transhipment and we want to establish the Ghanaian corridor as the petrochemical hub of the West and Central African sub-region,” he said.

Paul Ansah added that GPHA is being driven through innovation with the automation of all business processes and that include the paperless process at the Ports.

The Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Robert Ahomka Lindsey who represented the President of Ghana at the ceremony, charged the executives to work even harder to align with the country’s economic objectives.

He said government has availed itself to create an enabling environment for them to effectively perform naming the paperless system as one of the initiatives.

The Ghana Entrepreneurs and Corporate Executive Awards, is held annually by Entrepreneurs Foundation of Ghana under the auspices of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade and Industry as well as the Ministry of Business Development to recognize both private and public service executives for their accomplishments over the year.

Additionally, Mr. Paul Asare Ansah was also honoured with the Crystal Achievement Award by the United Clergy International Association Worldwide (UCIA) at the British Council. According to the faith-based group, Mr. Paul Asare Ansah has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities toward the growth of the Ghana Port and Harbours Authority.

They explained that the award, is to encourage Mr. Paul Asare Ansah to continue in his service to humanity through effective port management systems that frown upon corruption.

The United Clergy International Association Worldwide (UCIA) is a decency and orderly association that awards individuals in diverse areas of discipline. With a monitoring unit that monitors individuals who cause tremendous advancement in their quest to contribute their quota to society’s development.

The association awarded him with other great individuals for their quest in recognizing and resisting corruption in leadership.

This year, the Founder and Executive Chairman for United Clergy International Association, Bishop Dr. Kwame Aburam Anoff Snr. honoured other outstanding individuals during its 5th Anniversary and 4th ever global Achievers Leadership Awards ceremony.