{"id":126895,"date":"2026-03-18T11:50:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T14:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shipping.einnews.com\/article\/900237949"},"modified":"2026-03-18T11:50:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T14:50:10","slug":"clearing-agents-halt-operations-over-controversial-cargo-tracking-fees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/03\/18\/clearing-agents-halt-operations-over-controversial-cargo-tracking-fees\/","title":{"rendered":"Clearing Agents Halt Operations Over Controversial Cargo Tracking Fees"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

By Fatou Krubally<\/p>\n

Operations at the Banjul port were disrupted as clearing agents suspended activities in protest against the reintroduction of a cargo tracking charge, which they described as unjustified and burdensome to the economy.<\/p>\n

The action, led by the Association of Clearing and Forwarding Agents (ACCFA), targets the proposed implementation of the Electronic Cargo Tracking Note (ECTN), a system that agents say adds no value to existing port operations.<\/p>\n

In an interview with the Voice Newspaper<\/em>, ACCFA Secretary General Momodou Sowe said recent port reforms under Alport have reduced vessel waiting times and improved efficiency, but new charges could reverse these gains.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore, vessels could stay for weeks due to congestion, which increased freight costs to The Gambia,\u201d Sowe said. \u201cNow waiting time has reduced, but introducing unnecessary fees will only add pressure on the system and the economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

He argued that the ECTN is not operationally relevant in The Gambia, noting that current systems already allow for effective cargo tracking and monitoring. Sowe also questioned the legitimacy of the proposed fees, describing them as excessive and unsupported by any tangible service.<\/p>\n

The proposed charges include $85 for small containers, $170 for larger containers, and additional fees for vehicles and other cargo, all intended for security tracking, according to Sowe.<\/p>\n

Assistant Secretary General Lamin Bojang told journalists that clearing agents, as facilitators of trade, cannot support a policy that increases the cost of doing business without clear benefits.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor us, this is about protecting the ordinary Gambian,\u201d Bojang said. \u201cAny extra cost imposed on importers will ultimately be transferred to consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n

He noted that agents had previously engaged authorities on the matter, leading to the withdrawal of the charge in earlier discussions. Its recent reintroduction has renewed tensions within the sector. Bojang also highlighted potential operational challenges, including delays that could affect cargo clearance timelines and increase storage costs.<\/p>\n

ACCFA said its action is not a confrontation with the government but a call for dialogue and reconsideration of the policy. Active operations remain suspended pending government intervention.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not fighting the government,\u201d Sowe said. \u201cWe are simply standing our ground until the authorities engage us and address these concerns in the interest of the country.\u201d<\/p>\n

The standoff has placed attention on the government to mediate, as stakeholders warn that prolonged disruption at the port could have wider economic implications.<\/p>\n

<\/span> Post Views:<\/span> 119<\/span> <\/div>\n

<\/a><\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

… in protest against the reintroduction of a cargo<\/span> tracking charge, which they … targets the proposed implementation of the Electronic Cargo<\/span> Tracking Note (ECTN), a system that … due to congestion, which increased freight<\/span> costs to The Gambia,\u00e2\u0080\u009d Sowe said …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-126895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126895","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=126895"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126895\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=126895"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=126895"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=126895"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}