The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, Dr. Kofi Mbia, says the Advance Shipment Information System (ASHI) will be reintroduced into the single window platform, in spite of its suspension by the government through the Transport Ministry.
He explained that ASHI will afford importers, exporters and the nation the opportunity to maximise gains.
ASHI was aimed at promoting an effective and congenial atmosphere for players in the shipping industry, with Parliament passing it into law and becoming effective in 2014.
However, the announcement of the policy and its introduction were greeted with strong objection by industry players, especially, the Association of Concern Freight Forwarders in the port enclave, describing it as duplication of a policy, and was aimed at draining them to the core.
Holding a contrary view, Dr. Kofi Mbia said the ASHI would curb all forms of anomalies and loopholes used by some unscrupulous persons in the industry to cash in at the expense of the state.
Again, he said the policy would provide an improved and stress-free mode of monitoring the arrival of cargoes.
Speaking on Radio XYZ
in Accra, Dr. Mbia said: “Due diligence and stakeholder consultation was made before the introduction of the policy, hence, I cannot fathom why the severe objection exhibited by a cross-section of players within industry.”
Touching on the rationale behind the change of name from Shippers’ Council to Authority, he said it was geared towards weaning the institution from government subventions, to enable them carry out their mandate without any restrictions whatsoever.
Advancing further, he said, prior to this measure being introduced by the government, the Shippers’ Authority had already weaned off itself from government subventions, and had started doing things on its own.
Dr. Mbia stated that working with the Ghana Shippers’ Authority in the early 80s was distasteful, due to the porous conditions.
According to him, the current crop of staff has made working with the Authority worthwhile due to their steadfastness, loyalty and commitment to duty.
Enumerating a few of his achievements with the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, he said the Shipper Complaints and Support Unit and the Maritime Law Seminar, had been beneficial, not only for players in the industry, but Ghana.
To this end, he expressed the imperativeness for Ghana, being a common law country, to have all its members abreast with maritime law issues, and to litigate accordingly on issues of economic importance and regional integration.
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