The Advocate for Indigenous Freight Forwarders (AIFF) has called for the immediate suspension and comprehensive review of the implementation of the Shippers Permit Number by the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), citing concerns over rising trade costs, inadequate stakeholder consultation, and possible duplication of existing port systems.
In a press statement issued and signed by the Convenor of the Advocate, Godfred Mawuli Tettey (Dr.) said the group aligns with the long-standing concerns raised by the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), traders, and other key players in Ghana’s shipping and logistics sector regarding the new regulatory requirement.
According to the Advocate, the rollout of the Shippers Permit Number has not been preceded by sufficient engagement with frontline industry operators such as freight forwarders, importers, and exporters, who play a critical role in cargo clearance and port efficiency.
“Any policy that fundamentally affects shipping documentation and cargo processing must be developed through broad-based consultations with the very operators who implement these systems daily,” the statement said.
The group warned that introducing the Shippers Permit Number alongside existing platforms such as the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) could impose additional administrative and financial burdens on trade.
While authorities have suggested that associated costs may be borne at the port of origin, the Advocate argued that, in practice, such costs are usually passed along the supply chain, ultimately affecting manufacturers, businesses, and consumers.
The development, the group cautioned, risks undermining government’s stated objective of reducing the cost of doing business at Ghana’s ports and weakening the country’s competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The Advocate also questioned the necessity of introducing a new mandatory identifier when Ghana already operates multiple cargo tracking and compliance systems under Customs and other state agencies. It called for the publication of a clear policy justification demonstrating the specific gaps the Shippers Permit Number is intended to address and how it differs from existing mechanisms.
The statement further highlighted the difficulties confronting indigenous freight forwarders, including rising shipping line charges, high demurrage costs, currency volatility, and persistent operational bottlenecks at the ports. According to the group, additional regulatory requirements introduced without adequate safeguards could threaten the survival of locally owned freight forwarding companies, contrary to government’s commitment to supporting indigenous businesses.
The Advocate is therefore calling for an immediate suspension of the implementation of the Shippers Permit Number, the initiation of broad stakeholder consultations involving GIFF, trader associations, freight forwarders, and port operators, the publication of a transparent cost–benefit analysis and implementation roadmap, and the harmonisation of existing port and customs systems to avoid duplication.
Despite its criticisms, the group said it remains open to constructive dialogue with government institutions and regulators in the interest of national development.
“Effective trade facilitation is achieved through collaboration, transparency, and practicality—not unilateral implementation,” the statement stressed.
The Ghana Shippers Authority has yet to officially respond to the concerns raised by the Advocate for Indigenous Freight Forwarders.