GSA leadership probes Tema Port congestion amid rising cargo volumes

The Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) has intervened in the growing congestion at Tema Port, with its leadership embarking on a fact-finding mission to examine operational pressures and identify urgent solutions.

Led by Board Chairman Mike Allen Hammah and Chief Executive Officer Prof. Ransford Gyampo, the delegation engaged managers of the port, including the Director-General of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Major-General Paul Seidu Tanye-Kulono and Chief Executive Officer of Meridian Port Services Limited (MPS), Mohammed Samara, to identify immediate measures to ease cargo clearance and vessel turnaround.

The visit comes against a backdrop of rising concern from importers, exporters, freight forwarders, and the public.

In August, the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) warned that the accumulation of empty containers was consuming valuable space and driving up costs. The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has also called for urgent expansion of container handling capacity, urging GPHA to convert selected spaces into modern facilities.

Mr Samara described the congestion as “manageable” but cautioned that without swift action, delays could escalate into serious disruption. He noted that while the expansion of Terminal 3 has advanced Ghana’s position as a shipping hub, supporting infrastructure, particularly roads and inland depots, has not kept pace.

“Cargo volumes have surged from 700,000 TEUs in 2020 to 2.7 million in 2025, with current throughput at 2.5 million TEUs ahead of the peak season,” he said.

He added that the fact-finding mission revealed systemic challenges, including excessive physical inspections, with 70 per cent of containers undergoing intrusive checks compared to a global standard of 10 per cent.

According to him, ineffective joint inspections and a risk classification system heavily skewed toward “Red Lane” consignments were identified as major contributors to clearance delays. Proposed interventions include a GRA-Customs-led review of the risk classification system, stricter enforcement of penalties for wrong declarations, and better coordination of concurrent inspections among state agencies. A multi-stakeholder action plan is expected to accelerate cargo release, safeguard government revenue, and reduce congestion.

Mr Hammah noted that the GSA’s expanded mandate under Act 1122 (2024) requires proactive engagement in challenges affecting commercial shipping.

“Ghana is competing with neighbouring ports, and so we need to improve our efficiency. GSA has a responsibility to make Ghana competitive. We can only be an efficient shipping and logistics hub with improved infrastructure in and around the port,” he said.