African shippers push for harmonisation of shipping systems
Arku Jasmine
Business News
Shippers councils in Africa are pushing for a harmonisation of the systems and information used to track cargo movement in the respective countries, as part of efforts to reduce the cost of shipping in the continent.
The initiative is aimed at linking information on the movement of cargo to and from the various countries in a manner that will make it possible for the respective shippers to access them as and when necessary.
The move is being pursued by the Union of African Shippers Council (UASC), the umbrella body of shipper organisations in West and Central Africa.
The Head of Freight and Logistics at the Ghana Shippers' Authority (GSA), Madam Sylvia Asana Owu, disclosed this to the GRAPHIC BUSINESS on October 17 after returning from a meeting of the UASC in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The meeting, which was used to elect new executive for the union, also saw Ghana being elected to the Vice Chairman position of the organisation.
The country will serve on that post for the next two years, after which it automatically becomes the President.
Madam Owu said in addition to discussing various issues of concern to shipping industry in the region, the UASC also underscored the need to link cargo tracking systems in the member countries to a single platform on which shippers could easily access.
That harmonisation, she said, would make it possible for shippers to monitor the movement of their cargo, commence clearance procedures immediately the cargo arrived and clear in time, thereby avoiding demurrage and charges associated with delayed clearance of cargo.
Madam Owu said, the Shippers’ Authority through its regulation, the GSA Regulation 2012 (L.I. 2190), had started the development of the advanced shipment information (ASHI) system to be used in monitoring the movement of shipment to and from the ports.
By Maxwell Adombila Akalaare/Graphic Business/Ghana
The initiative is aimed at linking information on the movement of cargo to and from the various countries in a manner that will make it possible for the respective shippers to access them as and when necessary.
The move is being pursued by the Union of African Shippers Council (UASC), the umbrella body of shipper organisations in West and Central Africa.
The Head of Freight and Logistics at the Ghana Shippers' Authority (GSA), Madam Sylvia Asana Owu, disclosed this to the GRAPHIC BUSINESS on October 17 after returning from a meeting of the UASC in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The meeting, which was used to elect new executive for the union, also saw Ghana being elected to the Vice Chairman position of the organisation.
The country will serve on that post for the next two years, after which it automatically becomes the President.
Madam Owu said in addition to discussing various issues of concern to shipping industry in the region, the UASC also underscored the need to link cargo tracking systems in the member countries to a single platform on which shippers could easily access.
That harmonisation, she said, would make it possible for shippers to monitor the movement of their cargo, commence clearance procedures immediately the cargo arrived and clear in time, thereby avoiding demurrage and charges associated with delayed clearance of cargo.
Madam Owu said, the Shippers’ Authority through its regulation, the GSA Regulation 2012 (L.I. 2190), had started the development of the advanced shipment information (ASHI) system to be used in monitoring the movement of shipment to and from the ports.
By Maxwell Adombila Akalaare/Graphic Business/Ghana
