The Ministry of Ports, Harbours and Railways, has abolished all charges paid by shipping agents for clearing goods from the Tema and Takoradi ports.

The objective is to reduce the cost of doing business at the ports.

The directive, which takes effect from August 1, however excludes the approved administrative charge of 55 U.S. dollars per bill of lading.

The Minister, Prof. Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, disclosed this to the paper in an interview yesterday after he had opened a seminar on the implementation in Ghana of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Inter-State Road Transit (ISRT) Convention.

The seminar was held to raise awareness amongst the shipping public, import and export companies, transport owners and truck drivers, and other interest groups, including the media, of the provisions of the convention, as well as the critical importance of implementing it in Ghana.

Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi urged all those involved in the shipping business to join in with the government to seek ways of reducing the cost of doing business through the ports.