Shippers urged to understand their rights, hold partners accountable  

Mr John Baker Glover, Ashanti Regional branch manager of the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), has called on shippers to understand their rights and be able to hold partners involve in their activities accountable. 

He said having in-depth knowledge of their cargo was key to ensuring that the goods were properly classified and packaged within the international shipping regulations. 

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Kumasi, he said it was important for shippers to safeguard their business interest, while navigating the complexities in the industry. 

Shippers, he said, “must carefully balance their responsibilities with keen awareness of the rights to maximize the value of their shipping activities and minimize risks”. 

He stressed the need for shippers to provide vivid description of their cargo, since it impacted on decisions about transportation of their cargo and ensured compliance with both local and international laws, and thus, reducing risks and costly delays. 

Mr. Glover advised shippers to deal with licensed custom brokers to ensure that the correct classification were assigned to their products. 

This, he said, could also mitigate the risks of misclassifications and avoidance of unnecessary costs.  

Shippers must also possess accurate and complete shipping documentations to serve as a legal framework for transactions, he noted.  

He mentioned some of the documentation as bill of laden, commercial invoice, packing list and certificate of origin. 

According to him, proper communications with their dealers and partners would always make shipping process efficient and trouble free. 

Mr. Glover also stressed the need for shippers to be aware of the International Commercial Terms (INCOTERMS), which he said were globally recognized rules that defined the responsibilities of buyers and sellers in the transportation of goods. 

This, he said, would help them clarify who was responsible for certain activities, costs and risks. 

This was also essential for smooth and dispute free transactions. 

He also called on shippers to take INCOTERMS seriously to help them determine the allocation of costs and risks throughout the shipping process. 

Source: GNA 

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