IEAG petitions Mahama with eight demands over maritime sector governance

The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has petitioned President John Dramani Mahama with eight demands concerning board representation and regulatory oversight in Ghana’s maritime sector, escalating a long-running dispute over port charges and institutional accountability.

In a petition dated September 15, 2026, and copied to Transport Minister Joseph Bukari Nikpe, the Association called for the removal of the Ship Owners and Agents Association of Ghana (SOAAG) from the boards of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA). The petition was signed by IEAG Executive Secretary Samson Asaki Awingobit on behalf of the Association’s leadership.

The Eight Demands

The IEAG’s petition sets out eight specific requests:

1. Remove SOAAG representation from key boards — The Association wants government to withdraw SOAAG representatives from the GMA and GPHA boards.
2. Review Adam Imoru Ayarna’s appointment — IEAG is calling for a review of the appointment of Adam Imoru Ayarna as the representative of Ghanaian-registered shipowners on the affected boards, citing concerns over regulatory compliance, stakeholder relations and institutional accountability.
3. Broaden private-sector representation — The Association wants SOAAG’s representation replaced with broader private-sector participation, including credible Ghanaian importer, exporter and trading associations whose members are directly affected by maritime policies, charges and port operations.
4. Review shipping-related charges — A comprehensive review of the Container Administrative Charge (CAC) and other shipping-related charges, with attention to legality, transparency, value for money, proportionality and the services provided in return.
5. Enforce lawful directives — Government must ensure that lawful directives issued by competent state institutions are respected and complied with, while preserving the right of affected parties to seek judicial or administrative redress.
6. Review shipping-line operations under the 24-hour economy — A review of the operations and service schedules of shipping lines to ensure private operators do not undermine extended port operations or expose importers and exporters to avoidable demurrage and detention charges.
7. Strengthen stakeholder engagement — IEAG proposed a broader stakeholder engagement framework involving government, regulators, shipping lines, terminal operators, importers, exporters, freight forwarders and other relevant industry stakeholders.
8. Review private-sector board representation — A review of the broader framework for private-sector board representation to ensure that no single industry interest is disproportionately represented on strategic maritime state boards.

The Container Administrative Charge Dispute

Central to the petition is the ongoing controversy over the Container Administrative Charge. The Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) issued a regulatory directive on May 11, 2026, capping the CAC at GH¢720 per Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU). SOAAG and some shipping agents filed an application at the Accra High Court seeking to halt implementation of the directive. In July 2026, the court dismissed the application, leaving the GH¢720 ceiling in effect.

Despite the court ruling and the GSA’s subsequent directive to shipping lines and agents to comply, IEAG says importers and exporters continue to be charged approximately US$165 per container.

“IEAG finds it unacceptable that importers continue to bear a charge of approximately US$165 per container under the Container Administrative Charge when a regulatory directive and a High Court ruling have established a GH¢720 per TEU ceiling for both import and export containers,” Awingobit said at a press conference on September 14.

The Association argued that the continued non-compliance weakened state authority and increased the cost of doing business for traders.

A Recurring Pattern: The 2016 Terminal Handling Charges Dispute

IEAG’s petition draws a direct parallel between the current CAC controversy and a 2016 dispute over Terminal Handling Charges (THC). In July 2016, several major shipping lines — including Pacific International Lines (PIL), Maersk Line, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), CMA CGM, Arkas Lines and UASC — introduced a Terminal Handling Charge of US265 per 40-foot container at the ports of Tema and Takoradi.

The Ministry of Transport directed that the charges should not be imposed as a local charge at Ghana’s ports, but some shipping interests continued to levy them and challenged the government’s authority. The matter eventually attracted the intervention of then-President Mahama, who directed the shipping lines to comply. CMA CGM subsequently suspended collection of the THC effective October 4, 2016.

IEAG argued that the two incidents — the 2016 THC dispute and the current CAC controversy — point to a “recurring pattern of confrontation between shipping interests and regulatory institutions”.

“It is therefore legitimate for the President to ask whether organisations that are beneficiaries of representation on state boards are demonstrating the level of institutional responsibility, regulatory compliance and respect for public authority expected of board members and industry representatives,” Awingobit said.

Port Congestion and the 24-Hour Economy

The petition also raises concerns about the implementation of the government’s 24-hour economy policy at the ports. IEAG said the success of extended port operations would require coordinated services from shipping lines, terminal operators, government agencies and other private-sector actors.

The Association warned that shipping lines and other private operators must provide corresponding services — including during weekends and extended operational periods — to prevent importers and exporters from incurring avoidable demurrage and detention charges.

The call comes amid worsening congestion at Ghana’s ports. IEAG’s preliminary assessment found that approximately 74 per cent of containers undergoing scanning were being routed to the red channel for physical or intrusive examination, far above the global standard of about 10 per cent. Awingobit warned that Ghana risks losing significant cargo volumes to competing ports in the sub-region, particularly the Port of Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire, if the bottlenecks are not addressed before the December peak trading period.

Presidency Response

In a letter dated September 16, 2026, the Presidency acknowledged receipt of the petition and confirmed that it had been forwarded to the Ministry of Transport for consideration. The response was signed by Callistus Mahama, Secretary to the President, and addressed to Samson Asaki Awingobit.

“I am directed to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 15th September, 2026, and to inform you that the petition has been duly noted and referred to the Ministry of Transport for necessary action,” the letter stated.

The referral does not itself amount to a decision to remove or replace SOAAG representatives from either board.

“Good Governance, Institutional Authority, Accountability and Fairness”

IEAG said its requests were motivated by what it described as a persistent pattern of disregard for state directives and regulatory decisions by some shipping interests, and that the matter was ultimately about “good governance, institutional authority, accountability and fairness”.

“IEAG does not seek the exclusion of legitimate private-sector interests from Ghana’s maritime governance structures. We seek a system in which all stakeholders are represented fairly and in which every representative understands that service on a state board carries responsibilities to the Republic of Ghana beyond the interests of the organization or sector they represent,” the petition said.

The Association reaffirmed its commitment to working with the government to build a transparent, efficient and competitive maritime sector.