The Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, Mr. Samson Asaki Awingobit, has called on the government to prioritize local financing options for future port infrastructure projects, including the proposed Keta Port.
Speaking at the maiden Ghana Transport and Logistics Fair (GTLF) 2025 in Accra, Mr. Awingobit urged the government to raise capital through the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) by issuing public shares, saying this would allow ordinary Ghanaians to own stakes in major national assets.
He said the approach would reduce Ghana’s dependence on foreign financing and ensure that the financial and economic benefits of the country’s ports remain within the local economy.
“When you invest in port infrastructure, you never lose,” Mr. Awingobit emphasized. “If the government opens the opportunity for Ghanaians to buy shares, students will buy, workers will buy, and dividends will stay in the country.”
Citing the Tema Port Expansion Project, he noted that the venture, executed by Meridian Port Services (MPS), had become a highly profitable enterprise, generating substantial revenues from container handling, rent, and other port-related services.
The Tema Port Expansion, completed at a total cost of $1.5 billion, was financed largely by international institutions such as the Bank of China ($231 million), the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China ($144.3 million), the International Finance Corporation (IFC) ($195 million), the Dutch Development Bank (FMO), and Standard Bank.
According to Mr. Awingobit, MPS has likely recouped its initial investment and continues to enjoy significant profits under its 25–30-year concession agreement. He questioned why the government had not leveraged local investors for such a high-yield project.
He argued that Ghana’s growing cargo throughput makes port investments highly bankable, revealing that container traffic has more than doubled in recent years.
“From about 800,000 containers some years back, by July this year, we had already handled over 1.5 million, and we are likely to hit two million TEUs before the year ends,” he said.
Mr. Awingobit also commended the government’s ongoing efforts to digitalize port operations, which he said had reduced cargo clearance times, improved efficiency, and minimized demurrage costs for importers and exporters.
“Before digitalization, clearing a consignment could take over two weeks just to get a tax bill to pay duty. Today, with AI and IT solutions, the process is faster and transparent. If you pay demurrage now, it’s probably your own fault,” he remarked.
The Ghana Transport and Logistics Fair (GTLF), organized by the Ministry of Transport in collaboration with Digital Eye, showcased innovations and investment opportunities aimed at redefining Ghana’s transport and logistics sectors. This year’s event was held under the theme, “Resetting Transport Sector for Connectivity, Innovation and Investment.”
In a related development, Mr. Eric Dunebo Ang-numbaala, Planning Officer at the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), said the Authority was actively pursuing initiatives to develop Ghana’s ports into smart and green facilities.
“GMA, and Ghana by extension, stands tall among peers in the subregion. To maintain and advance this leadership, we have begun implementing a National Action Plan on Green Shipping,” Mr. Ang-numbaala disclosed during a panel discussion at the fair.
A smart or green port integrates advanced technologies and sustainable practices to minimize environmental impacts, improve efficiency, and enhance competitiveness, a direction Ghana aims to pursue as it seeks to modernize and decarbonize its maritime sector.
