The call on the government by trade associations operating at the Tema Port to immediately halt the implementation of new freight charges since they have no legal basis to do so dominates the headlines of Ghanaian press on Tuesday.
| The Graphic reports that trade associations operating at the Tema Port have called on the government to immediately halt the implementation of new freight charges since they have no legal basis to do so.
The associations have, consequently, urged their members and the general public to disregard the 100 per cent increase in additional port fees announced by the Shipping Lines. The shipping lines, apart from announcing the implementation of new tariffs of $132 for 20 equivalent unit (TEU) and $264 for forty TEU from $77 and $154, have also announced their intention to commence the implementation of container transfer fees of $50 as an inland additional import service charge scheduled to be implemented from March 15, this year. These charges, which were expected to take effect yesterday, according to the shipping lines, were in response to a proposed limited revision of port tariffs by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA). However, the group called on the Ghana Shippers Authority to impress on the shipping lines to reverse the charges. The newspaper says that the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has reacted to the statement by the Judicial Service of Ghana that advised the media to be measured in the reportage on the ongoing 2020 presidential election petition. The Service is particularly concerned about what it described as hateful, spiteful and offensive statements against the seven Justices of the Supreme Court hearing the petition. It said apart from undermining the administration of justice, any hateful statements targeted towards a judge must be treated seriously owing to the history of this country where three judges were abducted and murdered years ago. The warning addressed to some specific media houses was contained in a statement released by the solicitors for the service, Sory@Law, and signed by its managing partner, Mr Thaddeus Sory. But reacting at a press conference in Accra on Monday, March 1, 2021, the President of the GJA, Mr. Roland Affail Monney, said the “Judiciary is not immune from criticism”. He described the statement by the judicial Service as “scandalous, which is a threat to media freedom in Ghana”. The death toll as of Wednesday February 24 stood at 599. An update from the Ghana Health Service (GHS) said as of Friday February 26, 2021, Ghana had recorded 409 new cases of the disease with 5,444 active cases. A total of 191 more people have passed away in February, bringing the cumulative deaths to 607. The GHS has explained that out of 902,813 tests conducted in Ghana since March 2020, 84,023 persons have so far tested positive for the disease representing 9.3 per cent of positivity rate. The Greater Accra Region still leads with the highest number of active cases with 2,719 infections. Meanwhile, the Savanna Region has recorded the lowest with only one active case. The Times says that a Cocoa Target Learning Platform to help experts and farmers share knowledge on planting materials for increased productivity has been held at Mankranso in the Ahafo Ano South-West District of the Ashanti Region. It aimed at exposing the participating farmers to best practices and innovations in the use of planting materials, which could help sustain their livelihood. The University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), Kokoo Pa Farmers Association, a farmer-based organization, and KIT Royal Tropical Institute facilitated the programme. It was on the theme: “Planting Materials: Farmers’ Perception, Challenges, Opportunities and Innovations.” The participants were from the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), Forestry Commission, Bioversity International and Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Professor Elvis Asare-Bediako, the Vice-Chancellor of UENR, in an address at the opening session, said the training adopted an ‘innovations from below’ approach to enable the farmers to improve their practices based on their existing knowledge. He explained that a variety of innovations were considered, ranging from seed preservation, producing planting materials, crop protection to the survival of planting materials. |
GIK/APA