IEAG Demands Urgent Meeting Over Disputed GH¢720 Container Charge

A dispute over the regulated Container Administrative Charge (CAC) at Ghana’s ports has prompted calls for an urgent stakeholder meeting to prevent rising costs and uncertainty from affecting international trade.

The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) is urging the Minister for Transport to bring together key players in the maritime and trading sectors to resolve concerns over reports that some shipping lines and their agents are charging above the approved ceiling.

The IEAG says the current regulatory ceiling for the Container Administrative Charge, also known as the local handling charge, stands at GH¢720 per Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) for both import and export containers.

According to the Association, the directive remains valid and has been reinforced by the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, which has instructed shipping lines and their agents to comply with the approved charge.

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra, IEAG President Samson Asaki Awingobit said continued charges above the approved ceiling could increase the cost of doing business at Ghana’s ports and undermine efforts to make the country’s ports more competitive.

“The IEAG is concerned that reports of some shipping lines continuing to impose charges above the approved ceiling have the potential to increase the cost of doing business at Ghana’s ports, create uncertainty for importers and exporters, and undermine ongoing efforts to make the country’s ports more competitive,” the Association said.

The Association is therefore asking the Transport Ministry to convene an urgent meeting involving the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, shipping lines, shipping agents, freight forwarders, importers, exporters and other relevant port stakeholders.

The IEAG believes dialogue among the parties will help resolve the impasse and prevent the disagreement from disrupting port operations and international trade.

The Association also raised concerns about persistent container congestion at the Tema Port, saying the situation is contributing to vehicular and trade-related traffic within the port enclave and surrounding areas.

It has called on the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to consider converting some spaces currently leased to private businesses into additional container terminal facilities when selected leases expire.

According to the IEAG, increasing container-handling capacity could improve operational efficiency, ease congestion and facilitate the movement of goods and vehicles through the port.

The Association has further called for improved security at the port to support the government’s 24-hour economy policy.

The call follows what the IEAG described as a recent isolated attack involving transporters and individuals offloading cargo, raising concerns about the safety of people operating within the port environment.

On digital services, the IEAG is asking the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to strengthen its payment and digital platforms following a reported week-long disruption of government digital services at the port.

The Association said reliable digital systems are essential to ensuring smooth customs processing and preventing delays for businesses operating at the ports.

Despite its concerns, the Association reaffirmed its support for the Publican Artificial Intelligence Trade Solution, saying the system has contributed to improvements in customs valuation and revenue mobilisation.

The IEAG said the system increased assessed customs collections by more than US$300 million between the pilot phase and the rollout period ending July 17, 2026.

It added that approximately 366,000 import declarations had been analysed during the period.

However, the Association is calling for improvements to the appeals process, the valuation database and stakeholder engagement to ensure legitimate importers receive timely redress when disputes arise over customs valuations.