Trade associations in the country are accusing some shipping lines in the country of allegedly charging terminal handling charges despite a directive by the minister of transport Fifi Kwetey, for them to stop.
Executive secretary of the importers and exporters association, Samson Asaki described the act of the shipping lines as an affront to the intelligence of players in the maritime industry.
He accused the shipping lines of hiding under the term INCOTEM to charge the terminal handling charges in overseas and asking importers to pay in Ghana.
“What the shipping lines are now doing is that they are standing on the Minister of Transport’s letter at the portion of the statement that they have the liberty per the INCOTERMS. They are producing an invoice for terminal handling charge in Europe or overseas and asking the Ghanaian importer to either ask his or her exporter, where the cargo was brought from to pay them before their documents are released to them,” he said.
He said the act of the shipping lines is unhealthy for business growth in the country.
Asaki called on importers to resist the payment of the terminal handling charges by not dealing with shipping lines who charge the THC.
“We will also use the opportunity to advise shippers not to use any shipping lines who will charge for terminal handlings. We want to know which company is ready not to charge terminal handling charges so that we will tell the importers and exporters to work with the company which is ready to work with us,” he said.
He said all the major trade associations comprising the AGI, GUTA CUBAC among others will on Tuesday 27th, September, 2016 to hold a press conference to register their displeasure at the shipping lines and call on government to crack their whip.
“The key businesses associations headed by the AGI, Chamber of Commerce, GUTA, Importers and Exporters Association, Food And Beverages, Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders, Custom Brokers Associations, Greater Accra Shippers Committee and the rest of the associations, have met and decided to hold a joint press conference with the importers and exporters and the agents, to put out an information or a communication to government and for that matter we know that it is going to carry a weight,” he said.
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