A shipping and logistics firm, honored as the most promising company at the 2024 Ghana Shippers Award, has urged the government to cut down on port bureaucracy to enhance business operations.
Karima Multi Company highlighted that excessive bureaucratic procedures at the ports cause unnecessary delays in goods clearance, adversely affecting businesses nationwide.
The company’s Founder and CEO, Mohammed Osman, stated “There is too much bureaucracy at the ports, with so many agencies, basically doing the same thing.”
“After one agency has checked the goods, another will tell you something was not done right and also do the same checks on the same container, delaying the whole process,” he said.
Competitive taxes
Mr. Osman also called on the government to lower duties and taxes at the ports to increase the country’s competitiveness.
He noted that the high taxes on goods act as a deterrent for businesses and often result in excessively high prices for the final consumer.
“The duties charged at the ports are also killing businesses. The duties charged on goods should be competitive among neighbouring countries in the sub-region,” he added.
He refuted the idea that lowering taxes and charges at the ports would negatively impact government revenue, arguing that such measures could significantly boost government earnings.
“If the duties and charges at the ports are competitive, it will increase the revenue of the government as people will not have any incentive to use the ports of neighbouring countries and smuggle them into the country,” he said.
Motivation
Mr. Osman mentioned that Karima Multi Company, encompassing Karima Shipping and other subsidiaries, received the award due to its exceptional performance and innovative practices over the years.
He elaborated that the company specializes in shipping a wide range of goods and providing various logistical support services from the United States to Ghana.
He noted that the award serves as both a motivation and an encouragement for the company to continue excelling.
“We won this award based on our performance, innovation, excellent customer service and social impact programmes, which have had a positive impact on society,” he said.
Mr Osman said this was not the first time the company had been recognised for its sterling performance, stressing that it had won two awards in the US.
“In 2016, we were awarded the best exporter of the year in New York by the Small Business Administration of New York, while in 2021, we were awarded the Best Shipper in Bronx, New York, by the Bronx Award programme,” he said.