From Alfred Adams, Takoradi
The Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) has held a forum in Takoradi to sensitise the trade and shipping community to keep them abreast with the changes in the maritime industry.
The forum, under the theme: “The United Nations Convention on Contract for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partially by Sea – The Rotterdam Rules’, was aimed at drawing the shipping community to the provisions of the Convention, the benefits to the shipper and carrier, and the rights and obligations of both shipper and carrier amongst others.
For over a half century, the international regime relating to the contract of maritime carriage of goods had been governed by The Hague Rules, Hague-Visby Rules and the Hamburg Rules. Each of these rules is believed to have their weaknesses and overtime, the implementation of these various regimes on the conduct and carriage of international trade created some segmentation, and subsequently, affected the certainty of the law in the field of maritime transportation.
Opening the day’s forum, the Acting Takoradi Branch Manager of the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), Mr. Frederick Atogiyire, told the participants that one of the cardinal objectives of the Authority was to educate and sensitise the trade and shipping community, in order to keep them abreast with the changes in the maritime industry.
He added that the essence of the forum was to create the platform to enable the trade and shipping community to comprehend, seek clarification and deliberate on the United Nations Convention on Contract for the Intentional Carriage of Goods, also known as the ‘Rotterdam Rules’.
The Rotterdam Rules has been described as a hybrid of the three existing Conventions, namely Hague Rules, Hague-Visby Rules and Hamburg Rules.
The Takoradi Branch Manager noted that there was no doubt that the implementation of the Rotterdam Rules would bring about a major change in the working practices, interpretation, and ease of operation in the trade and shipping industry.
It was as a result that the GSA was entreating all stakeholders to embrace the Rotterdam Rules and support the Authority, as it continued to sensitise stakeholders across the country.
According to him, the likely benefits of the Rotterdam Rules included uniformity in liabilities of the shipper and carriers, and enhanced use of electronic documentation amongst others.
Another major aim of the forum was to sensitise the shipping community, the legislature, and the relevant government ministries and agencies on the provisions of the UN Convention, and particularly, the need to determine the way forward, with respect to the eventual ratification of the Convention.
Speaking on the theme, Dr. Kofi Mbeah, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority, disclosed that out of the 25 countries that have signed on to the Rotterdam Rules, only three countries have ratified it.
Preferring the Rotterdam Rules to the others, Dr. Kofi Mbeah pointed out that the international community believed there was the need for harmonisation. “So, there is the need to bridge the gap between the ship owner and the cargo owner.”
He said, though the Rotterdam Rules would not fully satisfy the cargo owner, neither would it satisfy the ship owner, it was a good hybrid of The Hague and the Hamburg Rules. The Rotterdam Rules was signed in The Netherlands by many countries, including Ghana, in September 2009.
However, several countries, including Ghana, are yet to ratify for it to come into force.
The post GSA schools stakeholders on changes in maritime trade appeared first on The Chronicle - Ghana News.
From Alfred Adams, Takoradi The Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) has held a forum in Takoradi to sensitise the trade and shipping community to keep them abreast with the changes in the maritime industry. The forum, under the theme: “The United Nations Convention on Contract for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partially by […]
The post GSA schools stakeholders on changes in maritime trade appeared first on The Chronicle - Ghana News.
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