After walking a long distance to Intermodal Company Limited, a shipping line in Tema, protesters were met with disappointment as the premises of the shipping line were closed.

At the entrance of Intermodal Shipping Agency, a notice was posted which read, “Dear valued customer, please be informed that our office is closed today, September 24, 2024, and we will be delivering customer service online. We will resume regular operations on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.”

Expressing their dissatisfaction with the action taken by the shipping line, the Tema Chairman of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), Johnny Mantey, said shippers and members of his outfit were still going not to pay any charges and costs they incur due to the non-operation today.

He bemoaned the high cost of daily demurrage, stating categorically that a day is pegged at US$200.

Mr. Mantey said their call is for these shipping lines to desist from charging in dollars.

He said the group will resist paying for demurrage incurred on weekends and public holidays.

The protest by the stakeholders in the maritime industry seeks to address a practice in which shipping lines, contrary to the Customs Act of 2015, are engaging in customs brokerage, sidelining freight forwarders and monopolizing services in a manner that the association views as anti-competitive.



SA/MA