The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has raised the alarm over worsening congestion at the country’s ports and is calling for immediate high-level government intervention before Ghana loses import trade to neighbouring countries.
At a press conference, Executive Secretary Samson Asaki Awingobit said the current bottlenecks are systemic and span customs processes, inspections, regulatory charges, terminal operations, and truck turnaround times.
Mr Awingobit urged the Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, to urgently convene and lead a special government team comprising the Ministers of Finance, Trade, and Transport, along with relevant port agencies, to engage stakeholders and implement an immediate action plan to decongest the ports.
Among the key concerns raised is the high rate of containers being sent for physical examination.
The association said about 74 per cent of scanned containers are being routed to the red channel for intrusive checks, a figure it believes is contributing significantly to delays.
He also cited the breakdown of the joint inspection regime, where some regulatory agencies allegedly conduct separate examinations after Customs has completed its checks, leading to multiple handling of the same containers.
IEAG expressed worry that rising regulatory fees from agencies such as the GSA, FDA and EPA, combined with long truck turnaround times at some terminals, are increasing costs and dwell times for importers.
The association warned that if the situation is not addressed quickly, the problem could worsen during the December peak trading period.
Mr. Awingobit said some importers are already considering routing cargo through the Port of Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire due to the delays and uncertainties in Ghana.
“Once an importer establishes a reliable alternative supply chain through another regional gateway, winning that business back becomes extremely difficult,” the statement noted.
He also announced that IEAG has petitioned the President to remove representatives of the Ship Owners and Agents Association of Ghana (SOAAG) from the boards of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and the Ghana Maritime Authority, citing persistent non-compliance with directives on the Container Administrative Charge.
The association stressed that Ghana cannot pursue an ambitious trade and industrialisation agenda while its ports remain expensive, unpredictable, and time-consuming for importers.
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