The Minority in Parliament has urged Government to implement the Ghana Shippers Authority Act, Act 1122, warning that the delay in implementation has created a regulatory gap in the maritime sector.
According to the Minority, the absence of the required Legislative Instrument (L.I.) to enforce the law has left the Ghana Shippers Authority without the full legal backing needed to regulate shipping charges and protect importers.
They argued that the situation has allowed shipping lines and vessel operators to impose arbitrary fees without proper justification, placing an increasing financial burden on Ghanaian businesses.
The Minority noted that the Act was specifically passed to empower the Ghana Shippers Authority to regulate pricing practices and prevent unjustified charges, but remains ineffective due to the lack of implementation.
“The failure of Government to implement the Ghana Shipper’s Act 2024, Act 1122 has created the regulatory gap within the maritime sector leaving Ghanaians exposed to arbitrary charges by shipping lines. The ACT which was passed to empower the Ghana Shippers Authority to regulate and prevent the imposition of unjustified fees remain effectively unforced due to the absent of necessary legislative instrument required for its full implementation.
“As a result, shipping lines and ship owners continue to enforce and apply arbitrary charges without adequate justification in the absence of a fully operational legal frameworks, these entities have taken advantage of the situation imposing cost that will place an undue financial burden on the Ghanaian importers,” the Minority stated.
The Minority cited a recent claim where an importer said he was charged 1000 USD Emergency Conflict Surcharge allegedly linked to tensions in the Middle East, even though the cargo in question was shipped weeks before the conflict escalated.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, March 24, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Roads and Transportation Committee described the delay in implementing the Act more than a year after the current administration assumed office as unacceptable, stressing that the continued inaction undermines efforts to bring discipline and fairness to the maritime sector.
The Minority has therefore called on the Ministry of Transport to urgently lay the necessary Legislative Instrument before Parliament to activate full enforcement of the law.
“We on the Minority side are therefore calling on government through the Ministry of Transport to as a matter of urgency lay before Parliament the required Legislative Instrument to activate the full enforcement of the Act,” he noted.
They warned that without a properly enforced legal framework, shipping lines would continue to exploit the gap, further escalating costs for importers and affecting trade and economic activity.
“Without a legally empowered authority to regulate pricing practice, shipping lines will continue to introduce arbitrary fees that place undue financial burden on Ghanaian importers.”
