Ghana is banking on stronger legal and institutional synergy to transform its maritime trade landscape, as the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) and the Ghana Revenue Authority–Customs Division (GRA-Customs) have jointly launched a working group to harmonise enforcement of two key pieces of legislation: the Customs Act, 2015 (Act 891), and the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Act, 2024 (Act 1122).
The newly inaugurated Joint Working Group will focus on aligning enforcement responsibilities under both Acts to streamline port operations, close regulatory loopholes, and protect national revenue — all while improving the experience of shippers and service providers.
Speaking on behalf of GSA Chief Executive, Mr. Prince Henry Ankrah, Deputy CEO in charge of Operations, described the move as a legal turning point for Ghana’s port governance.
“We are not merely coordinating; we are operationalising two complementary Acts to reshape oversight, compliance, and accountability in the shipping and logistics sector,” Mr. Ankrah said.
He stressed that a key focus of the group will be to ensure smooth implementation of Act 1122, which empowers the GSA to register and regulate service providers within the shipping industry and sanction non-compliance. He called on Customs to be an active enforcement partner, especially in monitoring and ensuring adherence to licensing regulations at the ports.
On his part, Mr. Emmanuel Ohene, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Operations at GRA-Customs, reinforced the importance of inter-agency alignment.
“This initiative is more than administrative. It’s a legal mechanism to synchronise our roles — Customs in border control and revenue assurance under Act 891, and the GSA in regulating service provision and shipper protection under Act 1122,” he noted.
The joint taskforce, guided by terms of reference that include digital integration, monitoring frameworks, and policy alignment, is expected to reduce bottlenecks in clearance procedures and reinforce revenue mobilisation.
Observers say the collaboration is long overdue, with overlapping mandates often causing delays and inefficiencies at Ghana’s ports. By rooting cooperation in law, officials hope to eliminate institutional silos and raise Ghana’s competitiveness in global shipping.
The formation of the Joint Working Group reflects a broader policy shift in Ghana’s trade environment — where effective enforcement and shared accountability between agencies are now being prioritised as levers for reform.
