Advocate for Indigenous Freight Forwarders Demands Suspension of Shippers Permit Number Rollout

Newsdesk Report 

The Advocate for Indigenous Freight Forwarders (AIFF) has called for the immediate suspension and comprehensive review of the implementation of the Shippers Permit Number by the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), citing concerns over escalating trade costs, weak stakeholder engagement, and the potential duplication of existing port systems.
In a press statement signed by its Convenor, Dr. Godfred Mawuli Tettey, the Advocate said it aligns fully with the long-standing objections raised by the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), traders, and other critical actors in Ghana’s shipping and logistics industry regarding the new regulatory requirement.
According to the group, the introduction of the Shippers Permit Number was not preceded by adequate consultation with frontline operators such as freight forwarders, importers, and exporters, whose daily activities directly impact cargo clearance, port efficiency, and trade facilitation.
“Any policy that fundamentally alters shipping documentation and cargo processing must be developed through broad-based consultations with the operators who work with these systems on a daily basis,” the statement stressed.
The Advocate warned that layering the Shippers Permit Number on top of existing digital platforms, including the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), risks creating additional administrative hurdles and increasing the cost of doing business at the ports.
While authorities have indicated that any associated charges may be borne at the port of origin, the group argued that such costs are typically transferred along the supply chain, with manufacturers, traders, and ultimately consumers absorbing the impact.
The statement further cautioned that the policy could undermine government’s stated objective of reducing port-related costs and weaken Ghana’s competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), where efficiency and cost-effectiveness are critical.
Questioning the necessity of a new mandatory identifier, the Advocate noted that Ghana already operates several cargo tracking, compliance, and verification systems under Customs and other state agencies. It therefore called on the GSA to publish a clear policy justification outlining the specific gaps the Shippers Permit Number seeks to address and how it differs from existing mechanisms.
The group also highlighted the mounting pressures faced by indigenous freight forwarders, including rising shipping line charges, high demurrage costs, foreign exchange volatility, and persistent operational bottlenecks at the ports. It warned that introducing additional regulatory requirements without adequate safeguards could threaten the survival of locally owned freight forwarding companies, contrary to government’s commitment to supporting indigenous enterprise.
Consequently, the Advocate is demanding an immediate suspension of the Shippers Permit Number implementation, the commencement of broad stakeholder consultations involving GIFF, trader associations, freight forwarders, and port operators, the publication of a transparent cost–benefit analysis and implementation roadmap, and the harmonisation of existing port and customs systems to eliminate duplication.
Despite its concerns, the group said it remains open to constructive engagement with government institutions and regulators in the broader interest of national development.
“Effective trade facilitation is built on collaboration, transparency, and practicality—not unilateral implementation,” the statement concluded.
As at the time of filing this report, the Ghana Shippers Authority had not officially responded to the concerns raised by the Advocate for Indigenous Freight Forwarders.