Mr. Joseph Bukari Nikpe, the Minister of Transport has engaged the management of Meridian Port Services (MPS) to find solutions to delays in container clearance at the Tema Port.
The engagement formed part of efforts by the Ministry to reduce congestion, improve cargo handling efficiency and lower the cost of doing business within Ghana’s trade and logistics sector.
During a working visit to MPS at the Port of Tema, Mr Nikpe discussed measures to accelerate the inspection and clearance of containers and reduce the length of time cargo remained at the port.
He assured MPS of the Government’s commitment to working with all relevant institutions to address bottlenecks associated with container inspection, processing and clearance.
The Minister said his outfit would collaborate with other Ministries and their agencies involved in the cargo clearance process to streamline procedures and improve coordination.
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He noted that closer coordination among the agencies was critical to reducing unnecessary delays and ensuring that containers moved through the port within the shortest possible time.
Mr. Nikpe said Government was concerned about the length of time containers remained at the port and would take the necessary measures to improve the situation.
He explained that prolonged clearance delays had implications for businesses and consumers, particularly as additional costs such as demurrage were eventually transferred to consumers through higher prices of goods and services.
The Minister, therefore, stressed the need for greater efficiency among agencies involved in the clearance process to reduce both the time and cost associated with cargo handling.
As part of the visit, Mr Nikpe subsequently travelled to Mpakadan to inspect ongoing works on rail and port facilities intended to support the movement of containers from the Tema Port to northern Ghana and landlocked countries that depend on Ghana’s ports.
The inspection enabled the Minister to assess progress on the infrastructure and examine how the facilities could contribute to improving the efficiency of cargo transportation.
The Mpakadan rail project is expected to form an important link in Ghana’s emerging intermodal transport system by connecting rail and marine transport to facilitate the movement of cargo from the Port of Tema.
The system is expected to provide an alternative and more efficient means of transporting containers, thereby helping to ease pressure on the road network and reduce congestion at the Tema Port.
Mr. Nikpe commended the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA) for work undertaken so far and urged it to continue collaborating with the Volta Lake Transport Limited (VLTL) and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to bring the facilities into operation as soon as possible.
He said completing the physical infrastructure alone would not be enough, stressing the need for the various institutions involved to work together to ensure that the facilities became fully operational and delivered the intended economic benefits.
The Minister urged the relevant agencies to maintain close coordination to ensure that investments in the transport sector translated into tangible improvements in cargo movement.
He said the engagements with MPS and the inspection of the Mpakadan facilities demonstrated Government’s commitment to addressing bottlenecks across the cargo movement chain.
Mr. Nikpe emphasised that all institutions involved in cargo clearance and transportation needed to work together to create a more seamless system for moving goods from the port to their final destinations.
The engagements form part of a broader strategy to improve Ghana’s logistics infrastructure, reduce cargo-related delays and establish a more efficient transport system to support trade and economic activity.
The Ministry of Transport is expected to continue its working tours to identify bottlenecks within the transport sector and collaborate with relevant institutions to improve the efficiency of Ghana’s transportation and logistics system.
