On Friday, July 11, 2025, Executives of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) led by the Association’s President Mr. Stephen Adjokatcher held a high‑level meeting with H.E. John Dramani Mahama at the Jubilee House in Accra. The discussions focused on improving efficiency at Ghana’s ports, ensuring fair trade practices, and advancing the government’s 24‑Hour Economy agenda.
GIFF President, Mr. Stephen Adjokatcher, highlighted how shipping lines impose multiple administrative charges per container, even when one bill of lading covers several containers. He noted this practice deviates from global standards and unnecessarily increases costs for importers and freight forwarders.
Mr.Eddy Akrong, an immediate past president of the Association also elaborated on other challenges affecting the industry including down times experienced with the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) but was quick to praise the Customs Commissioner for working assiduously with GIFF to resolving the issues, Revenue Leakages at Entry/Exit Points using “head load” practices at borders. Overlapping Regulatory Agencies at the Port and suggested streamlining or consolidating agency roles to reduce duplication, costs, and delays.
On the New Shippers Authority Bill introduced in 2024, he passionately called for the Bill to be revisited especially where the bill seeks to regulate and license freight forwarders, a task already performed by Customs under the Customs Act 891 (Ministry of Finance). He cautioned this could create confusion, more bureaucracy and extra costs. Lastly Mr. Eddy Akrong championed GIFF’s Advocacy for Trade Facilitation emphasizing patriotism and commitment to increasing State revenue.
Mr. Kwabena Ofosu Appiah also took to the podium to humbly call for the restoration of the Single Window Governance Model, a process set up under Mahama’s administration before 2016 and modeled on a UN/WTO trade facilitation framework. He acknowledged Pres. Mahama for setting up Ghana International Trade Commission (GITC) but stressed the commission isn’t fully executing its mandate particularly holding Customs accountable on valuation/classification issues.
Concluding Mr. Ofosu Appiah bemoaned the absence of GIFF, the largest group of importers and exporters in the country from the Accelerated Export Development Committee despite being key actors in trade facilitation, and suggested that filling the void will go a long way in benefiting all.
Bri.Gen. Glover Ashong Annan, Commissioner of Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority acknowledged serveral meetings with GIFF and hence substantive progress have being made to addressing challenges with ICUMS. He stated Ghanalink is assisting to increasing ICUMS bandwith to meet its operational challanges. The Commissioner briefly hinted on UCL directives given for some items under 21-days to have their documents handled at Tema to ease the burden of forwarders.
President John Dramani Mahama welcomed GIFF’s delegation, acknowledging the meeting was long overdue, and affirmed government’s shared commitment to making Ghana’s ports of entry more efficient, competitive, and transparent. His Excellency in addressing concerns of the delegation spoke on myriad of things , key among them include
Infrastructure Commitments:
Recalling Tema Port’s expansion and Takoradi Port upgrades, while announcing a $10 billion “Big Push” infrastructure plan over the next five years to improve ports, roads, and logistics links — especially rail access to Takoradi.
Tax Simplification & Economic Recovery:
He confirmed the removal of “nuisance taxes” (e.g., e‑levy) and pledged to simplify VAT rates for easier compliance. Further reporting on signs of economic stabilization with a stronger cedi and falling inflation in bid to support trade facilitation.
24‑Hour Economy Rollout:
He also noted that ports and Customs have started implementing the 24‑hour operations policy, and urged all critical agencies, such as Food And Drugs, Standards Authority, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Shippers Authority to align quickly to avoid delay.
President Mahama agreed with GIFF and called the excessive administrative fees unacceptable and directed the Minister of Transport and Attorney General to ensure such charges are ratified by Parliament or stopped altogether.
He warned that high fees and inefficiencies are driving importers to Lomé and vowed urgent measures to bring order to port charges and boost Ghana’s competitiveness. He also acknowledged it was an oversight that GIFF was left out of the Accelerated Export Development Committee and promised to rectify it.
Lastly he proposed regular evaluation meetings with GIFF and other stakeholders to monitor progress on port reforms and the 24‑hour economy.
Clearly, the delegation were satisfied and buoyed with the fruitful engagement, key for them was the immediate action taken by the President in handling the issue of the Shipping Lines among others.
