GUTA Against Tariff Increment At Port

The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) are kicking against a proposal by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) for an increase in port charges at its new terminal.

In an exclusive interview with THE NEW PUBLISHER, the General Secretary of the Greater Accra Regional branch of GUTA, Nana Poku, cautioned that any increase in tariffs will overburden importers, and has therefore called for its withdrawal.

“This new proposal by the GPHA to increase tariff at our port, I am in shock and I want to believe it is not true. I don’t even know what kind of increment they want to do in attempts to overburden traders. I think the timing is very bad, we won’t allow any such increment when traders are already suffering” he said.

The Ghana Shippers’ Authority last Thursday, July 25th 2019, met with the Ghana Union of Traders Association and other importers over plans to review port tariffs on imports.

The New Publisher understands, the meeting was to seek final inputs and subsequent implementation of the proposed tariffs proposed by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority.

According to officials of the Shippers’ Authority, the change has become necessary as it had been many years since the GPHA last reviewed its tariffs.

The new tariff, if approved; will represent an increase from 16 per cent (existing one) to about 250 percent.

In the view of the GUTA boss, the timing is inappropriate and could derail government’s efforts at reducing the cost of doing business at the ports.

“We expect government to maintain the existing rate. Why are they rushing? They should desist from any sort of attempts to increase port duties. Our signal is to GAPOHA and government. The proposed increment is like giving traders a tea spoon full of sugar and punishing them back with a bag full of poison.

”We can’t take it. Enough is enough. They have over 20 years ahead to run the port. They can make their profit in 10 years,” he said in an interview with The New Publisher.

Nationwide Demonstrations

On the recent ‘brotherly fallout’ between Ghanaian traders and foreigners, he said, the Union had served notice that it would take to the streetsshould government fail to enforce laws that forbid foreigners from undertaking retail business.

“We are going to declare the Destiny Day Demonstration in three months, where all other laws will not be regarded, if our pleas are not heeded. We have noticed that, the Akufo-Addo government only understands demonstration and we are going to give one to them” he said.

“We have had so many infractions on the law, and that is why the people are very annoyed this time. There are about 500 people [Nigerians] who couldn’t provide their duty documents and ID cards to the police. The police have the report, what are they doing with it? When you go to Nigeria, they refuse Ghanaians to trade there even with all the necessary documents, so why otherwise here? GUTA has evidence to this, we have done ourchecks” he fumed.