By Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo, GNA
Tema, June 05, GNA – The Exim Frozen Foods Association of Ghana (EFFAG) has urged the Ministry of Transport to reject any attempt to reintroduce the Cargo Tracking Note (CTN), also known as the Smart Port Note (SPN), arguing that it would impose significant additional costs on businesses and consumers.
The association said the proposed system would create additional financial and administrative burdens for importers and exporters without delivering measurable improvements in cargo clearance or trade facilitation.
In a statement signed by Mr Michael Obiri-Adjei, the EFFAG’s Executive Secretary, they questioned renewed advocacy for the reintroduction of the CTN/SPN regime and maintained that the system had consistently faced opposition from importers, exporters, freight forwarders, logistics operators and civil society groups over the years.
The Association said the primary purpose of the proposed system was to collect shipping data for the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA), a function that should be financed through the authority’s existing resources rather than through additional charges imposed on traders.
EFFAG further questioned the reported partnership between the GSA and the Inter-Ocean Maritime and Logistics Institute (IOMLI), arguing that the arrangement appeared inconsistent with the Authority’s mandate to protect the interests of shippers.
The Association noted that the CTN/SPN initiative appeared to be more of a revenue-generation mechanism than a trade-facilitation tool.
On the potential economic impact, EFFAG estimated that implementation of the CTN/SPN system could cost Ghanaian shippers between €187.2 million and €382.8 million annually.
It said the estimate was based on Ghana’s 2024 container traffic volume of 1.7 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) and fee structures proposed during previous attempts to introduce the system.
It added that the estimate only covered full-container-load cargo and excluded other cargo categories, suggesting that the overall economic impact could be substantially higher.
EFFAG further warned that any additional charges introduced under the system would ultimately be passed on to consumers through increased prices of imported goods.
The Association also argued that the Smart Port Note duplicated functions that are already being performed by existing systems, including the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) and the Ghana Integrated Cargo Clearance System (GICCS).
Reintroducing the system could create additional layers of bureaucracy, increase transaction costs, and contribute to delays within the cargo clearance process, the EFFAG said.
The Association maintained that the proposal was inconsistent with international trade facilitation objectives, including commitments under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the World Trade Organisation’s Trade Facilitation Agreement.
It cautioned that additional clearance requirements could weaken Ghana’s competitiveness as a regional trade hub, particularly in comparison with neighbouring ports in Togo and Côte d’Ivoire.
EFFAG repeated its request to Mr Joseph Bukari Nikpe, the Minister of Transport, to reject any plan to bring back the CTN/SPN system and instead focus on improving current digital platforms and tackling ongoing issues raised by traders.
Among its recommendations, the Association urged the government to continue strengthening existing cargo management systems, support digitalisation initiatives within the Ghana Shippers’ Authority and address what it described as illegitimate port-related charges.
It stated that that Association remained willing to collaborate with policymakers and industry stakeholders on reforms aimed at reducing trade costs and improving the ease of doing business, while maintaining its opposition to the proposed reintroduction of the CTN/SPN system.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo
Reporter: Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo. GNA
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