Accra: Prof. Ransford E. V. Gyampo, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers' Authority (GSA), held a significant meeting with air freight stakeholders at Kotoka International Airport. The discussions aimed at reducing the business costs associated with commercial shipping in Ghana.
According to Ghana News Agency, the engagement included a meeting with the management of the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL), an agency responsible for managing all airports in Ghana, including KIA. This interaction is part of a broader initiative, following similar discussions with stakeholders in the sea and land freight sectors. Prof. Gyampo, along with top management, also visited the offices of Aviance Ghana and Swissport Ghana, two major ground handling and cargo companies, to further strengthen stakeholder collaboration and address operational issues.
A statement from the GSA highlighted that Mrs. Yvonne Nana Afriyie Opare, Managing Director of GACL, welcomed the GSA team and congratulated Prof. Gyampo on his appointment. She affirmed GACL's commitment to working collaboratively with state institutions, ensuring smooth operations. "We are always ready to support GSA's operations, and as we have collaborated in the past, we will continue to engage with you to improve the sector," she stated.
Prof. Gyampo shared his experiences from visits to key sea freight stakeholders, including the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and various shipping lines, as well as engagements with land freight stakeholders like the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority. These visits aimed to gather first-hand information and encourage stakeholders to work towards achieving the national vision of economic growth by reducing business costs.
He further noted the importance of the GSA Act 2024 (Act 1122), which mandates shippers and shipping service providers to adhere to standardized operations, ensuring predictability for businesses. "Our role is to protect the interests of shippers - whether by sea, land, or air - while also recognizing the concerns of shipping service providers," Prof. Gyampo emphasized.
During the visit to Aviance Ghana, Managing Director Mr. Mark Kamis expressed gratitude for the ongoing collaboration with GSA and anticipated enhanced engagement. He congratulated Prof. Gyampo on his new role, reaffirming Aviance Ghana's dedication to supporting the country's global visibility. "We want to continue contributing our quota to making Ghana visible globally through our work," he remarked.
Prof. Gyampo identified addressing air freight issues that impact business costs as a key objective of the visit. "We are here to listen and collaborate with you. Let's create a win-win situation," he asserted, emphasizing the GSA's role in safeguarding the interests of all stakeholders in the commercial shipping sector.
Swissport Ghana's Managing Director, Mr. Gerald Suckling, shared concerns about the sector's unstable performance in recent years. He noted the decline in production of goods had led some cargo airlines to halt operations, negatively impacting Swissport's business. He also highlighted challenges like delayed clearance of goods due to importers' poor preparation and funding issues.
Mrs. Monica Josiah, Head of Operations at the GSA, praised Swissport for their positive feedback in the GSA's Service Level Survey. She urged freight forwarders to report operational challenges, like the breakdown of the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), to the Shipper Support Unit at KIA.
Freight forwarders raised issues regarding ICUMS outages, which sometimes last more than a day, leading to delays and increased costs. They criticized the slow response of some state agencies involved in the clearance process. Mrs. Josiah assured that the GSA would investigate such issues and seek redress where necessary, emphasizing the importance of providing adequate evidence.