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GMSA shares concerns about high costs, delays in shipping industry
(Kaieteur News) – The Guyana Manufacturing and Service Association (GMSA) has added its voice to concerns about high costs and delays associated with shipping.
Speaking at press conference on Wednesday, where members of the association lauded the recently presented national budget as having covered 80 percent of its interests, First Vice President of the GMSA, Ramsay Ali told reporters that local manufacturers and service providers are concerned about shipping cost hikes and delays.
The GMSA executive told reporters that the association has been part of discussions surrounding the issues plaguing the local shipping industry.
Members of GMSA during a press conference addressing issues related to the national budget on Wednesday.
“The issues are the ports that can’t take big ships, so we have to rely on transshipment points…The shipping world is almost like a private business of its own, where a couple of people are controlling everything …We are still to get back to the pre-COVID prices again. It’s almost USD $10,000 to $12,000 to ship containers, when pre-COVID it was like USD $6000.”
In addition to the heavy cost of shipping, he said, there are a number of problems with the logistics of getting the merchandise to the buyers on time.
“More importantly is the issue of the unreliability of the shipping because now we have to cater for storage. There is cost to store in warehouses. Warehouses don’t make money for you. It’s a cost.”
To this end, the GMSA executive said a collective approach is needed to address the situation and stabilise the cost. “We have to work with everybody involved; wharfing, shipping, government suppliers to address the situation.”
Last week, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) warned against what it termed as unconscionable practices by shipping companies. In a terse statement to the media, the body said that over the last year it has observed and received complaints of “unfair and unconscionable practices by shipping companies operating in Guyana.”
“Ranging from the imposition of hiked fees and the unilateral extension of peak period pricing to the sidelining of local businesses’ imports for clearance to prioritise large foreign companies, these acts have far-reaching consequences for businesses, consumers, and the pace of development,” the statement said.
Further, the GCCI said that the “unjustified increases in cost as well as delayed delivery of goods lead to increased cost to consumers, and negatively impact the operations of local businesses.”
“Of particular concern is the impact of arbitrary price hikes and delays on businesses that are deadline driven and tied to the predetermined costs such as those in the construction sector,” the chamber stated.
The GCCI said that its members met with the Guyana Customs House Brokers and Clerks Association late last year and following their complaints sought a meeting with the Shipping Association of Guyana to address the challenges highlighted.
“To date, attempts to relieve the situation have proven futile—however, the iniquitous conduct by companies within the shipping industry cannot continue unchecked. The GCCI is calling on the shipping association to meet with its members and rectify this situation with urgency as the implications of their actions have troubling ripple effects on the business landscape.”
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