Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Shippers Authority, Dr. Kofi Mbiah, has released its maiden edition of the shipping Quarter outlook, which will engage the media to provide authentic and requisite informations of the Shipping industry to the Ghanaian populace and the world at large.

According to Dr. Mbiah, this first series of the shipping Quarter Outlook is instituted by the Shippers Authority as an industry wide platform for engaging the media and to provide timely authentic and accurate information on the shipping industry to populace.

“This Quarter outlook is made to look at the trade performance of 2016; provide indications for 2017; to discuss issues flowing out of the 2017 government budget statement; also to highlight some trade facilitation issues and review the implementation of the verified gross mass”. He revealed.

He also said, In 2016 Maritime trade per trade type, Ghana’s seaborne trade was a true reflection of the basic structure of the Ghanaian economy, which is heavily import dependent.

The year 2016, He said, echoes this fact with 68.5% of Ghana’s maritime trade being imports and 31.5% being exports.

Adding that, the total imports for 2016 was 12.05 million Mt, representing an increase of 3.2% over 2015 which was 4.1 million Mt of liner cargo, 1.75 million Mt of break bulk, 2.68 million Mt of Dry bulk cargo and 3.5 million mt of liquid bulk imports.

With the export trade, total export trade volume for 2016 was 5.55 million Mt representing a 26.9% increase over 2015 respectively.

He then added that, with issues regarding the 2017 budget statement, the shippers importers and exporters have welcomed the measures proposed by the government for the implementation in a short term.

Including the abolishment of the 1 percent special import levy and 17.5 percent VAT/NHIL on selected imported medicines, that are not produced locally and therefore added that, the law introduce to the shipping system will also help importers to be able to defend their goods .

By: Gabriel Mauricio

 

Exclusively Newslinegh