PRESIDENT JOHN MAHAMA MOVES TO SCRAP ILLEGAL PORT CHARGES, DEMANDS PARLIAMENTARY APPROVAL FOR ALL FEES
President John Dramani Mahama has ordered that all levies and taxes levied by shipping companies doing business in Ghanaian ports be submitted to Parliament for approval, calling any amount that is not supported by legal authority unlawful.
At a meeting with the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) leadership at the Jubilee House in Accra on Friday, July 11, 2025, the directive was given.
According to President Mahama, the move aims to increase port operations’ openness and do away with prohibited administrative fees levied by shipping lines.
“The law says that fees and levies shall be ratified by Parliament. Nobody can charge any fee or levy within the jurisdiction of Ghana without parliamentary approval,” he said. “We have asked the Minister of Transport and the Attorney-General to ensure that those fees are brought to Parliament.”
His remarks come after freight forwarders complained about what they called shipping lines’ exorbitant and capricious fees.
According to Mr. Stephen Adjokatcher, President of GIFF, some lines demand administrative fees in US dollars per container, even when multiple containers are covered by a single bill of lading.
“If you have 20 containers on one bill of lading, you are charged 20 separate administrative fees. But in China, you are charged only once per bill of lading,” Mr Adjokatcher said.
He noted that the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) already handles the port processing services for which shipping lines continue to charge extra fees. He added that previous appeals to the Ghana Shippers Authority had gone unanswered.
“We’ve knocked at the door of the Ghana Shippers Authority several times; nothing is going on,” he said. “These fees are not only unregulated but unjustified.”
President Mahama also expressed concern over revenue losses at Tema Port despite increases in cargo volumes. He said the Minister for Finance had reported a decline in port-related revenue to Cabinet, prompting a directive for investigations to identify possible leakages.
He said plans to improve port infrastructure under the government’s “Big Push” programme, which includes a capital investment of $10 billion over five years, would continue.
He went on to say that the viability of the envisaged 24-hour economy depends on the ports running efficiently.
