Joseph Kofi Adda
The Ministry of Aviation has revoked the directive on the cessation of carriage of cargo without manifest and airway bills.
In a letter dated July 30, 2020, the then Director General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) directed aircraft operators to cease carriage of cargo bags without accompanying cargo manifest and airway bill into Ghana or risk not being permitted for clearance at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
But Aviation Minister, Joseph Kofi Adda, in a letter dated August 11, 2020 and addressed to the Acting Director General of GCAA, noted the revocation of the directive.
In his letter, the minister asked the GCAA management to consult with key stakeholders in the industry before possibly reintroducing the directive.
The letter was made available to DGN Online by its source at the Aviation Ministry.
According to the letter, “the ministry is of the view that, notwithstanding the provision in the National Air Cargo and Mail Security Programme (NACMSP), such major decision requires consultation with key stakeholders in the sector, especially when the practice has been going on in years past in the full glare of the GCAA and other service providers.”
It added that “it is also to be noted that the timing of the directive is not appropriate, as the sector is already struggling due to the Covid-19 pandemic; and this will further exacerbate the problems faced by the airline industry, especially as many of the imported products involved are PPE to support the government’s fight to contain the pandemic.”
By Melvin Tarlue