‘Passage of Ghana Shippers’ Bill into law prudent’

THE passage of the 2024 Ghana Shippers’ Authority Bill into law by Parliament will create a conducive business environment for the shipping industry to thrive and boost the nation’s economy, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Karima Auto and Shipping Limited in Kumasi, Mohammed Aminu Osman, has stated.

He explained that the measure will also enable companies in the shipping industry to be competitive and help cut down on bureaucracy at the ports in clearance of imported goods. 

Mr Osman stated this in an interview with Daily Graphic at Kasoa in the Central Region.

The CEO expressed excitement of the passage of the bill into law saying it will empower the authority to regulate and standardise shipping charges, fees and requirements imposed by service providers. 

This move, he noted, will help create a more equitable environment for local businesses involved in shipping and trade.

“This is going to give us some clean field for us to operate, especially if you know what you’re going to pay, the cost of the tariffs and everything, it helps you to do your pricing very well and it helps you to stay competitive regarding the services that you’ll be paying for, especially the tariffs” he further observed.

Mr Osman said it was important for modern technology to be introduced such as scanning imported containers to check their content as well as what he described as “under-declaration” of imported items.

Challenges

Touching on challenges facing the shipping industry in Ghana, the CEO stated that they include the lack of technology in terms of infrastructure like providing scanners to check the content of containers instead of manual inspection by port officials, competition from foreign companies, poor road network to facilitate delivery of goods and the use of modern technologies to assist loading and off-loading of containers.

Mr Osman indicated that delays in clearing of goods at the ports as well as stiff competition from countries like Togo and Nigeria should be looked at because some people in the shipping industry ship their goods through Togo and Nigeria ports which they consider as cheaper than shipping them through ports in Ghana.

“When a container arrives at the port, you don’t have to offload it. You don’t need someone to go and inspect it.

It must just go through the scanner. But in this case, a customs officer has to go and open the container and examine it manually. It is challenging” he said.

He explained that systems must be put in place to check smuggle the goods from Togo to Ghana thereby causing revenue losses for the nation.

Forum

The CEO entreated government to organise quarterly or annual national forums to discuss pertinent issues affecting the shipping industry to resolve them quickly. 

That he noted will help boost the industry thereby increasing revenue for the nation. 

He advised political parties to fulfil their campaign promises on the shipping industry when they get the nod to govern the country.

Achievements

Touching on the achievements of the company, he said the company which had its mother company in the United States had won a number of awards in 2016 and 2018, both in the US and Ghana.

“Every time we hear our name with an award, it puts more pressure on us to do more. So that is what it is. The basis for the award is our quality customer service delivery. It is putting us ahead of our competitors.

And also, we have a system of tracking our staff from a point of loading to the point of delivery. That is something unique to our business” he added.

Mr Osman said the company had also put in place a reward system to among others give customers discount in patronising its services, made possible through a tracking system adding that “if you ship with us for four or five times, the fifth shipping, we give you a discount for coming back to do business with us”. “Officially, our business was registered in the US in 2005. And then in Ghana, we started in 2016 and registered the business in 2016” he stated.