Transport Minister orders urgent action to tackle surge in port congestion
The government is stepping up efforts to clear Ghana’s ports as container traffic surges to levels not seen in two decades, creating mounting pressure on operations at the Tema Port.
The Transport Minister of Ghana, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, has ordered urgent action to address the growing congestion at the country's ports, particularly at the Tema Port. This surge in container traffic marks a sharp increase not seen in two decades, placing immense pressure on port operations. The Meridian Port Services (MPS) Terminal has been particularly affected by this surge, with industry experts also highlighting recurring system outages as a significant constraint.
These disruptions have slowed cargo handling operations, with some containers being redirected to off-dock terminals, thereby exacerbating the congestion issue. In response, the Transport Minister has directed the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority to compile a list of overstayed containers, which must then be removed by the Ghana Revenue Authority. Mr Nikpe emphasized the importance of ensuring that containers exceeding the permitted period in the port are evacuated as a government priority.
Additionally, shipping lines have been encouraged to bring additional vessels to assist in evacuating empty containers remaining at the port. Mr Nikpe, who visited the port to discuss the congestion with management, stressed that the scale of the increase in container volumes is unprecedented. He noted that the container volumes have almost reached 100%, a figure not recorded in the past 20 years at the Tema Port.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
