By Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo
Tema, Nov. 02, GNA — Congestion at Ghana’s ports is imposing substantial costs on shipping lines, with 15 container vessels waiting offshore for an average of seven days, Dr Adam Imoru Ayarna, an Executive Member of the Ship Owners and Agents Association of Ghana (SOAAG), has said.
Dr Ayarna indicated that the cost of keeping a vessel waiting could range between 50,000 and 70,000 dollars a day, depending on the vessel, with delays adding to the operational expenses of shipping companies and affecting cargo movement.
Speaking at a media engagement on Ghana’s port ecosystem powered by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), he said the situation required coordinated action by port authorities, terminal operators, shipping lines, customs and other stakeholders.
He stated that the congestion was partly linked to delays in moving cleared cargo out of the terminals and the difficulty shipping lines faced in returning empty containers to the ports.
According to him, the average time a container remained in Ghana was about 27 days, a situation that affected the availability of space for empty containers and the ability of shipping lines to reposition them for subsequent voyages.
He explained that shipping lines sometimes had to arrange for vessels to collect empty containers, but the congestion made it difficult to move the containers into the ports in time for loading.
Dr Ayarna said vessels had, on some occasions, arrived to collect empty containers but were unable to access them because the port environment was congested.
He added that the problem was compounded by inadequate space within the port, limited truck availability and challenges in moving containers between terminals and off-dock facilities.
He also identified infrastructure constraints, including roads leading to and from the port, as areas requiring attention.
Dr Ayarna said the situation was not peculiar to Ghana, noting that other West African ports had also experienced congestion, partly because of increased cargo volumes within a relatively short period.
He called for improved planning based on cargo-volume data and closer coordination among port stakeholders to anticipate congestion and address bottlenecks before they escalated.
He said stakeholders needed to work together to improve the movement of cargo and empty containers as well as reduce delays affecting shipping operations.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo, GNA
Email: [email protected]