AFRICAN SHIPPERS' ORGANIZATIONS: THE GHANAIAN EXPERIENCE

The Ghana Shippers' Council is an autonomous public shippers' organization with its own sources of financing and government legislative support exercised through the Minister of Transport. It provides a wide range of services, both direct and indirect, on a daily basis to shippers. These include solving ship/cargo problems such as loss or damage to cargo, shortlanding of cargo, insurance claims, later arrival of shipping documents, and delayed docking of vessels. This paper looks at how the Shippers' Council could operate to make shipping cost-effective and to play its role as a servant of trade--a servant of the shippers. It examines the key problems that confront the shipper requiring intervention by a Shippers' Council and surveys how the organization of the Shippers' Council effectively handles problems. The Council aids shippers in customs clearance procedures, locating shipping agents, and ensuring that shippers are given refunds for illegal charges levied on them by shipping agents. It negotiates freight rates where shippers are quoted above the average rates charges for trade with Ghana and arranges promotional freight rates for nontraditional exports. Shippers' problems arising from arrest of vessels laden with Ghanian cargo are also handled by the Council. The final sections draw conclusions that could contribute to increasing the efficiency of Shippers' Councils, as well as improving the understanding of the Councils as managers of the demand side of shipping.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/2899960
• Corporate Authors:

  Taylor & Francis

  4 Park Square, Milton Park
  Abingdon,   United Kingdom  OX14 4RN
• Authors:
  • Addico, M T
• Publication Date: 2000-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Tables;
• Pagination: p. 121-132
• Serial:
  • Maritime Policy & Management
  • Volume: 27
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Taylor & Francis
  • ISSN: 0308-8839
  • EISSN: 1464-5254
  • Serial URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tmpm20

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cargo handling; Cost effectiveness; Databases; Financing; Freight transportation; Information systems; Organizations; Port authorities; Port congestion; Port operations; Ports; Problem solving; Shipper demand; Shippers associations; Shipping
• Identifier Terms: Ghana Shippers Council
• Geographic Terms: Africa; Ghana
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Freight Transportation; Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00792441
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 29 2000 12:00AM