President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Minister for Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, and the Attorney General, Dominic Ayine, to immediately scrutinise all fees imposed by shipping lines operating in Ghana and ensure Parliament ratifies them.
Speaking on Friday, July 11, President Mahama stressed that any charges levied without parliamentary approval are illegal and unjustified.
His directive comes in response to concerns raised by freight forwarders during a meeting with the President, arguing that some shipping lines impose unapproved administrative fees that increase the cost of doing business and undermine revenue optimisation at Ghana’s ports.
“We have charged the Minister of Transport to go into it and sit with the shipping lines and look into those administrative charges.
“The law says fees and levies shall be ratified by Parliament, and so nobody can come and charge any fees within the jurisdiction of Ghana. We consulted the Attorney General, and you cannot charge any fee or levy within the territories of Ghana without parliamentary approval,” he said.
