The Transport Forum (TTF) Ghana, a think tank with expertise in transport and logistics, says the government has to do all it can to restore the Black Star Shipping Line and national airline to boost the country’s economy.
Reviving the two defunct transport lines, Jacob Agyemang, President of TTF Ghana, explained that it would first create employment for Ghanaians, and, lastly, rake in dollars to save the constant fragility of the cedi.
“We need the Black Star Shipping Line and a national airline now, and TTF would mobilise Ghanaians to push for this agenda to save our economy. Ghana can’t continue enriching foreign shipping and airlines when we have what it takes to bring ours on stream.
“We have well-trained pilots and captains with the requisite technical know-how to manage these lines. The Government of Ghana must do all it can to revive our proud Black Star Shipping Line and Ghana Airways,” Jacob Agyemang said at a presser at the Press Centre to suggest a couple of pointers the government must consider to relieve the Ghanaian and businesses from the dire economy.
Ghana spends about US$300 million annually to foreign vessels to transport cocoa to the international market, “and in addition to other dollar freight charges the country and indigenous freighters pay to foreign shipping lines, our country will save these dollars in Ghana should we have our shipping line revived.
“So, we need these two lines back and be entrusted to proper managers to allow for international competition. TTF Ghana is going to engage policy makers to see the need to adopt and initiate some recommendations for this to happen,” Mr. Agyemang said.
He urged the government to stop collecting the Energy Recovery Levy (ESLA) among others which had subset clauses to alleviate the suffering of the Ghanaian.
Lastly, he urged freighters who were constantly losing their capital as a result of demurrage and other illegal penalties to seek the services of TTF Ghana and other experts in the transport and logistics chain.
