The Ship Owners and Agents Association of Ghana (SOAAG) has emphatically stated that shipping lines are not charging illegal fees, as freight forwarders and the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) alleged.
The industry players a fortnight ago held a protest accusing the shipping lines of charging arbitrary fees, such as local administrative charges and container cleaning fees, among other concerns.
Mr. Adam Imoru Ayarna, Executive Member of SOAAG, responding to the issues in an engagement with the media, said that members of the association do their best to operate within the country’s laws and other international regulations and legal frameworks governing the shipping industry.
Mr. Ayarna added that shipping lines enter a contract with the clients before lifting their cargo to its destination, adding that the terms and conditions of each agreement are clearly stated in the terms and conditions stated at the back of the bill of lading covering their transaction.
He explained that the bill of lading is a very critical legal document that the clients, which could be the forwarder or the trader, must read and ask for clarification when it is not clear to their understanding.
“Behind the bill of lading are the terms and conditions.
The contract of carriage starts when a shipping line gives a proposal that is contained in the terms and conditions. The contract of carriage includes the charges,” he stated.
He indicated that when a shipper approaches a shipping line, there is a dialogue, an offer, and conditions that are agreed upon, indicating that these agreements also cover the local administrative charges and freight costs, which are always stated from the onset.
According to him, just like what pertains in the airline industry, shipping also charges administrative fees, which should not be labelled as an illegitimate charge, adding that not all payments on the shipping and clearing of goods go to the shipping lines as perceived by many.
“GUTA is our first client, so if they don’t understand something, they need to contact the shipping line and enquire from them; if they are not satisfied, they can even use the court processes to address it,” he said.
The SOAAG executive member, however, stated that they have encouraged their members not to over cost their administrative charges, adding that currently only one shipping line charges cleaning fees across board, a situation they were working on.
Mr. Ayarna noted that due to the complexity of the shipping business, misunderstandings could occur, but stakeholders in the industry need to resort to dialogue to resolve their issues.
Madam Perpetua Osei-Bonsu, the Executive Secretary of SOAAG, said the media engagement was to help sensitise the public and industry players on their work and also update the exporters and importers of what was happening in the industry.
Madam Osei-Bonsu said the engagement, which would be held regularly, was also aimed at helping the media to report accurately without biases on the shipping sector.
