PILFERING AT TEMA PORT TAKES NEW DIMENSION (PAGE 18, FEB 20, 2010)

THE Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), Mr Kofi Mbeah, has disclosed that pilfering at the Tema Port has taken a new dimension with the use of more sophisticated ways to deny importers of their goods.
He said a new surveillance technology was applied at the car park, and yet complete dashboards and other important gadgets were stolen from the cars.
Mr Mbeah, however, cautioned that with its renewed mandate, the GSA (formerly the Ghana Shippers Council (GSC) was conducting a research to uncover the techniques used by the pilferers who were suspected to be in league with some operators from within.
Mr Mbeah made these disclosures when members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport visited the offices and facilities of the authority to interact with its officials on its renewed mandate, strategic directions for the period 2009 to 2013 and innovations to support shippers .
He noted that over the years the GSA had operated without a backing law and, therefore, could not take legal action against offenders at the port .
He said there were over 20 different companies involved in the processes of clearing goods at the port and, therefore, it was wrong for every blame to be put on the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority when things went wrong .
He said with the new mandate and the new title, the authority could now prosecute any organisation through whose negligence cargoes of shippers got missing or damaged .
Mr Mbeah said it was time the role played by small and fragmented shippers was recognised because they contributed significantly to the revenue base of the economy .
He cited the case of importers of spare parts and those who went to the Far East to bring in general goods, stating that they needed to be protected .
He said as part of the measures to monitor the safe arrival of goods, the authority was about to start the construction of a Shippers Centre in Accra to provide every transport-related support in terms of technology for shippers.
He stated that the 10-storey building, expected to be completed in 30 months and estimated to cost $11 million, would be fitted with modern equipment to provide all data on the movement of cargo, time of shipment, arrival and all other relevant information until the cargo was delivered .
He explained that statistics available indicated that the Tema Port had experienced a consistent increase in cargo inflow over the last 10 years, with over 14 million tonnes passing through the port, falling drastically to 12 million tonnes in 2009 as a result of the global financial crisis .
Mr Mbeah disclosed that with the oil find, the authority had also acquired a 30-acre land at Apowa in the Western Region to partner the private sector to provide services for the oil companies .
He explained that the drilling itself was 63 km offshore and, therefore, the need for logistics downstream stating that the supply of logistics and associated businesses in safety and devoid of pollution would be crucial .
He cautioned that with the oil find, the government must not abandon cocoa, explaining that “with the abundance of oil, the tendency is to look down on cocoa”.
The Vice-Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport, Ibrahim Tanko, commended the authority for its renewed mandate, which gave it more powers to operate .
He said the concerns of the GSA would be debated to support it to execute its work, as it could now arbitrate on behalf of shippers and deal with various agencies at the port .
The Manager of the Tema branch of the GSA, who also oversees functions of the authority in the Eastern and Volta regions, Mrs Naa Densua Ayittey, conducted the committee members round to inspect facilities of the GSA at its Tema office.