A severe bottleneck at the Tema Port has triggered an estimated US$45 million to US$50 million in demurrage costs for the cement industry in just the first eight months of 2026, prompting urgent calls for state-led port reforms.
Public policy think tank CUTS International is backing the cement industry’s demands for the government and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to fix the operational constraints at the port.
However, CUTS has issued a stern warning that resolving the port crisis must not serve as an excuse to tolerate collusive pricing agreements that destroy market competition.
The Port Bottleneck by the Numbers
According to operational data released by the Chamber of Cement Manufacturers, Ghana (COCMAG), the efficiency of the Tema Port has declined severely over the course of 2026.
For instance, in January 2026, vessel waiting times averaged a manageable 7 days. However, by August 2026, vessel waiting times skyrocketed to between 30 and over 40 days.
This dramatic delay has trapped vessels at anchor, resulting in a staggering industry-wide demurrage bill of US$45 million to US$50 million from January to August 2026. Because cement manufacturing relies heavily on imported raw materials like clinker, these delays have placed extreme financial pressure on producers.
Port Inefficiency: A Hidden Tax on National Development
CUTS International does not dispute that businesses have a right to recover legitimate costs to remain sustainable and earn reasonable returns. However, avoidable demurrage costs at the port act as a hidden tax, inflating overall business expenses and driving up construction costs for public infrastructure and private housing alike.
The state, through the GPHA, must act with extreme urgency to resolve these bottlenecks by improving berth availability, reducing vessel delays, and streamlining port operations. CUTS also maintains that fixing the port is essential for safeguarding national economic productivity.
The Regulatory Trap: Don’t Cure Port Inefficiency with Collusion
While the government must address the physical and operational challenges at the port, CUTS insists that regulators must not turn a blind eye to how these costs are passed down.
The state must reject any attempts by manufacturers to use port inefficiency as a shield for collective price-setting.
Appiah Kusi Adomako, Esq., Director of CUTS International, emphasized that while COCMAG should collectively fight the port authorities for better services, individual manufacturers must determine their pricing independently.
“COCMAG should collectively fight the demurrage problem. Individual manufacturers should independently decide what they charge consumers. Businesses must recover their costs and make profits, but competitors must compete, not coordinate prices,” he noted.
He concluded that the state must ensure that port efficiency reforms run parallel with the enforcement of fair market competition, preventing Ghanaian consumers from paying the price for both port inefficiency and corporate collusion.
