SOAAG Denies Media Reports on Ebola Levy 


The Executive Secretary of the Ship Owners and Agents Association of Ghana, SOAAG, Perpetua Osei-Bonsu says no member of the Association has or intends to impose any Ebola tax as is being reported by newspapers. 

She said though the shipping line in question on the 12th of August this year posted a notice on its website to impose levies on shipment of goods to the sub region, the company never implemented such levies. 

The Executive Secretary of the Ship Owners and Agents Association of Ghana, Perpetua Osei-Bonsu in that interview with Edith Elikplim Eshun.

Meanwhile the Ship Owners and Agents Association of Ghana, SOAAG has appealed to the media to be circumspect in their reportage and refrain from creating undue sensationalism when dealing with very sensitive issues. 

The appeal was made in a statement signed by the Executive Secretary of SOAAG, Perpetua Osei-Bonsu and emailed to Obonu news in Tema. 

It noted that a recent publication in the Ghanaian Times newspaper alleging that Hapag Lloyd a private foreign shipping line had imposed an Ebola levy on shipment of goods in the sub region was untrue. It further said considering the gravity of the Ebola epidemic, reporters ought to take further steps to do proper checks before coming out with publications. 

The statement stressed that if the reporter had done proper checks, it would have confirmed that the shipping line in question never went ahead to impose any levy even though a corporate policy has been taken to that effect at the global level in the wake of the Ebola crisis.
 
The statement said there has been a rising tendency for unsubstantiated stories to be put in the media about their operations but assured media practitioners of the Association’s cooperation at all times to enable them to come up with a balanced story particularly on issues concerning its members. 


GBC