Importers and exporters have welcomed the postponement of the Smart Port Note (SPN), a key initiative aimed at modernising port operations and reducing inefficiencies.
The decision was announced by the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA) in a public notice, following concerns from industry stakeholders who called for broader consultations ahead of the rollout.
The SPN, announced on December 23, 2025, was originally scheduled to take effect on February 1, 2026, based on the load-on-board date.
According to the GSA, the postponement follows the emergence of outstanding issues that require further clarification and alignment. The Authority described the move as a careful adjustment of one of its major port digitisation initiatives, intended to allow for additional stakeholder consultations to address operational, regulatory, and implementation concerns before the system goes live.
Speaking to Citi Business News, Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, Samson Asaki Awingobit, highlighted the importance of the deferment, particularly with regard to proposed fees linked to the SPN.
“Messages all over the world, especially countries that are exporting and supplying goods, have reached out to their buyers that there will be a small charge, and that charge is likely to be passed on to the importer in the country. And so there was a meeting convened yesterday for us to discuss.
“When we looked at the figures, some of the values were quite high, and so there was the need for us to defer and reconvene again, and also bring people who are raising issues regarding the cost so that we can all look at it,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Convenor of the Coalition of Concerned Exporters, Importers and Traders, Michael Obiri-Adjei, described the postponement as a step in the right direction.
“The hope is that we can all now meet as stakeholders and have proper conversations. We’ve seen key stakeholders within the ports community say they are not for the SPN. At least it settles in our minds that we have very legitimate concerns that ought to be addressed.
“So when we engage the Ghana Shippers Authority and call for stakeholder consultations, I am very clear in my mind that we will be able to make our case as to why we may not need the SPN or, if anything, shape the policy better,” he said.
Stakeholders are now optimistic that continued engagement will result in a more balanced and widely accepted approach to port digitisation.
