Ghana risks losing importers to neighbouring countries if persistent delays and inefficiencies at its ports are not urgently addressed, the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has warned.
The Association said the growing challenges within the port clearance system could undermine Ghana’s ambition to become a competitive regional trading hub, particularly as the country approaches the busy December trading season.
The Association’s Executive Secretary, Samson Asaki Awingobit, said the government must bring together key ministries and port-related institutions to develop practical solutions to the challenges confronting importers and exporters.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Mr. Awingobit called for a high-level meeting involving the Ministers of Finance, Transport and Trade, as well as heads of state institutions operating at the ports.
“We therefore call on the Chief of Staff and the presidency to urgently lead the special delegations conference of the Minister of Finance, Minister of Transport, Minister of Trade, to meet with all stakeholders in a single meeting,” he said.
Mr Awingobit said the meeting should result in measurable performance targets for port operations, including cargo clearance times, inspections, examinations and dispute resolution.
“The delegation must also include heads of the various state institutions working at the ports at that conference,” he said.
He argued that the efficiency of Ghana’s ports should be measured not only by revenue generation but also by the speed and predictability of cargo clearance.
“Ghana needs a port system that is not only capable of generating revenue but also capable of facilitating trade efficiency predictably and competitively,” he said.
The Association expressed concern that importers were bearing the cumulative effect of delays caused by multiple agencies operating within the port ecosystem.
“Every agency operating within the port ecosystem must be held accountable for the time it processes apps to the clearance chain,” Mr Awingobit said.
He also raised concerns about the rejection of customs values issued by head offices, which he said sometimes resulted in further referrals and delays in the clearance process.
“We want to find out, we want the Chief of Staff to add this to that. But there was an issue yesterday… when the values come from head offices, get your examination officer, you can get a look at your values… you reject it,” he said.
According to him, the Association wanted the government to investigate why customs values from head offices were sometimes rejected by examination officers at the ports.
He warned that failure to address the challenges could affect Ghana’s competitiveness as a regional trading hub.
“If decisive action is not taken now, Ghana may not only be fighting congestion at the port, in December we may also be fighting to win back importers who have left our neighbouring countries,” he said.
Mr Awingobit also raised concerns about the operation of ports on weekends, alleging that some port-related activities were not being carried out consistently despite the government’s 24-hour economy policy.
He said the government must ensure that all agencies operating at the ports worked in line with the policy to prevent avoidable delays and additional costs to importers.
The Association called for coordinated action by government and port authorities to improve cargo clearance, reduce delays and strengthen Ghana’s position as a competitive trading destination.
