DEMURRAGE payments declined by 17.5 per cent from US$100 million to $76 million by the end of 2017. This represents a decrease of 23 per cent compared to previous years, according to Ghana Shippers Authority chief executive officer Benonita Bismarck.
'In the past few months the authority in collaboration with the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has intensified efforts on educating shippers on how to avoid demurrage,' Ms Bismark said at the second edition of the Ghana Shippers Awards in Accra.
She urged industry players to begin the clearance process before the arrival of vessels and cargo. Shippers were also urged to submit authentic documents and funds for the clearance process at the ports, reported online media portal, Modern Ghana.
Touching on the impact the paperless system has had on the ports, Minister for Transport Kwaku Ofori Asiamah stated that even though efficiency at the ports has improved with the paperless ports system, there was still more to be done.
'Data available to us through GCNET (Ghana Community Network Services Ltd) show 43 per cent of containers cleared within 24 hours and 70 per cent being 48 hours. Although there has been some drastic progress, we are very much aware of existing challenges. It is, for this reason, the vice president has created a platform to review the success of the system,' he revealed,' he said.
'In the past few months the authority in collaboration with the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has intensified efforts on educating shippers on how to avoid demurrage,' Ms Bismark said at the second edition of the Ghana Shippers Awards in Accra.
She urged industry players to begin the clearance process before the arrival of vessels and cargo. Shippers were also urged to submit authentic documents and funds for the clearance process at the ports, reported online media portal, Modern Ghana.
Touching on the impact the paperless system has had on the ports, Minister for Transport Kwaku Ofori Asiamah stated that even though efficiency at the ports has improved with the paperless ports system, there was still more to be done.
'Data available to us through GCNET (Ghana Community Network Services Ltd) show 43 per cent of containers cleared within 24 hours and 70 per cent being 48 hours. Although there has been some drastic progress, we are very much aware of existing challenges. It is, for this reason, the vice president has created a platform to review the success of the system,' he revealed,' he said.