New Cargo Tracking Policy Faces Industry Opposition
Ghanaian traders and freight forwarders are opposing the reintroduction of the Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN) and Shipment Processing Note (SPN) system. They argue the policy will increase business costs and reduce port efficiency. The group claims a lack of transparency and consultation, and concerns that the system previously failed to meet expectations. They warn of potential weakenin...
A group representing Ghanaian importers, exporters, traders, and freight forwarders has asked the government to stop plans for a new cargo tracking system. This system is called the Electronic Cargo Tracking Note and Shipment Processing Note (ECTN/SPN).
The group states that bringing back this policy would make doing business more expensive. It could also undo recent improvements at Ghana's ports. They mentioned this in a statement dated April 4.
Concerns have been raised about the Ghana Shippers’ Authority and the Inter-Ocean Maritime and Logistics Institute pushing this new system. The group says there is not enough clear proof that the ECTN/SPN system will help businesses. They also report that discussions have not been open or fair.
The traders and freight forwarders warned that putting this system in place now would make existing problems worse. They are already dealing with issues from the new Publican AI customs platform.
The same policy was tried before and did not work well. The group fears that bringing it back without fixing old problems will reduce trust in government decisions. They are ready to talk with authorities. But they also say they will take legal action if their concerns are not met.
Source: StatsGH — Ghana's data-driven news platform