IEAG calls for urgent intervention to decongest ports

The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has called for an urgent intervention, led by the Chief of Staff, to address the worsening congestion and operational bottlenecks at the country’s ports.

The Association said the intervention was necessary to prevent the situation from developing into a full-blown crisis with adverse consequences for Ghana’s trade competitiveness, revenue mobilisation and the national economy.

It therefore called on the Chief of Staff to convene a high-level delegation comprising the Ministers of Finance, Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, and Transport, together with heads of relevant port and regulatory agencies, to undertake a comprehensive stakeholder engagement and establish an immediate action plan.

Mr Samson Asaki Awungobit, the Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association, made the call at a press conference on Monday, following engagements with importers, freight forwarders, customs house agents, transport operators, and other stakeholders within the port ecosystem.

Mr Awingobit said its preliminary assessment showed that the congestion could not be attributed to a single factor or institution but was systemic and cut across customs valuation and examination processes, inspection protocols, regulatory charges, terminal operations, truck turnaround times and inter-agency coordination.

He stated that the situation required high-level inter-ministerial intervention rather than isolated engagements between individual agencies.

The Association also proposed measurable port performance targets, including maximum turnaround times for examinations, valuation disputes, regulatory inspections, truck processing and cargo release.

“Every agency operating within the port ecosystem must be held accountable for the time its process adds to the clearance chain,” the association said.

The IEAG warned that without decisive action, the situation could worsen as the country approached the final quarter of the year and the December peak trading period.

It said increased cargo dwell time, storage and demurrage liabilities, truck queues and operational costs could further undermine the efficiency and competitiveness of Ghana’s ports.

The Association stressed that Ghana needed a port system capable not only of generating revenue but also of facilitating trade efficiently, predictably and competitively.