The UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce has commended the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority for putting in place the necessary infrastructure and systems that has improved the business environment in Ghana.

The Managing Director of Unilever Ghana, George Owusu Ansah, said this when he led a delegation from the chamber on a working visit to the management of the Port Authority.

The visit formed part of the UKGCC’s series of engagements being embarked on with policymakers, stakeholders, and business partners towards strengthening business relations.

They were received by the Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Michael Luguje, who maintained that his outfit is open to discussions that lead to workable solutions towards reducing the cost of doing business at the ports.

The GPHA boss intimated that the Port Authority’s charges form a small component of the entire cost of clearance at the ports.

“You will notice that the total cost of port clearance includes customs charges, shipping line charges, freight forwarding charges, and regulatory bodies. Mostly, when we are confronted with port charges being expensive, we try to seek some clarification.”

Furthermore, Michael Luguje said the Authority seeks to promote trade facilitation and is open to discount considerations on a case-by-case basis for major importers who may be faced with some challenges in clearance.

The General Manager Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Esther Gyebi-Donkor, provided some justification for tariff increments by the Port Authority.

She said, like other businesses globally, the authority suffers from the inflation in the price of work inputs and, as such, had to adjust the tariffs moderately to avoid running into losses.