Meridian Ports Services (MPS), managers of the Terminal 3 of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) is pushing for the upward adjustment of tariffs of cargo and goods at the terminal.
The company, in a statement sighted by your authoritative Ghanaian Observer Newspaper is requesting for a 20% adjustment in the fees currently charged at the newest terminal at KIA.
The statement indicates that the upward adjustment was contained in earlier agreement MPS entered into with the Government of Ghana in June 2015.
Sunil Bansal, Chief Financial Officer of MPS states in a letter to the Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority (GPHA) said that the proposed upward adjustment reflects in an attached sheet the company has when they signed the initial contract with the Government of Ghana.
CLAIMS:
MPS in the statement mentions its readiness to send soft copies of the attached tariff and the calculation behind for easy reference by the GPHA who seems opposed to the increment being sought.
The Chief Financial Officer intimates that the adjustments being sought for would only cost the customer to pay the right fee for goods and cargo they send through the terminal.
He noted that MPS is only bringing to the attention of the public that the actual payment by the customer will be done as per the clause 1.2 of the schedule 5 of the original concession agreement.
Mr Sunil states in the section that, ‘every vessel or ship which berths in the concessionaire’s area shall pay in US dollars or equivalent convertible currency to the concessionaire the appropriate dues, rates and charge as specified in said schedules’.
ULTIMATUM:
The statement by MPS gives the GPHA and the Ghana Government June 28th to publish its proposed tariff adjustment and rates.
This means, in 23 days time MPS will carry out the tariff adjustments since the letter sighted by GO proves they are carrying out what is legitimate.
MPS notes that considering the Terminal 3 plan they have implemented called Go Live June 28 will be appropriate for that program launch.
Meanwhile, information trickling to the stables of GO indicates that GPHA is lacing up to engage more with MPS to find a solution to tariff adjustment proposed.
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