The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has appealed to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to convert selected private spaces at the Tema Port into modern container-handling facilities to expand capacity and ease congestion.
The association said persistent congestion at the port could undermine the gains made from the Government’s Publican Artificial Intelligence (AI) Trade Solution and increase the cost of doing business for importers and exporters.
The Executive Secretary of the IEAG, Mr Samson Asaki Awingobit, made the call at a press conference in Accra last Friday to assess five months of the implementation of the Publican AI Trade Solution and other developments in Ghana’s port and trade environment.
The system became fully operational at Ghana’s ports on March 12, 2026.
Mr Awingobit said some leases held by private businesses at the port were approaching expiration and urged the GPHA to consider not renewing selected leases where necessary.
He noted that the spaces could instead be developed into additional container terminals to complement existing facilities, including Terminal Three, and improve the movement of goods and vehicles within the port enclave.
Mr Awingobit revealed that the IEAG had initially raised concerns about data integrity, stakeholder engagement, system integration and operational readiness before the implementation of the system.
He said subsequent engagements with the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) had addressed many of those concerns, leading the association to support the reform.
According to the IEAG, about 366,000 import declarations had been analysed, with approximately 24 per cent triggering valuation risk indicators for further review.
It mentioned that the system had increased assessed customs collections by more than US$300 million, representing a 17.5 per cent increase over the values originally declared by importers.
The association further said assessed customs collections increased by about US$73.44 million in March alone, representing a 25.7 per cent uplift.
Additionally, Mr Awingobit indicated that the system had reduced excessive human discretion in customs valuation and improved the detection of undervaluation, misclassification and suspicious declarations.
He, however, called for a faster and more transparent appeals process for importers disputing valuation decisions.
He also urged the GRA to regularly update its valuation database and provide training for Customs officers, freight forwarders and clearing agents.
The IEAG also raised concern over reports that some shipping lines and their agents were charging above the approved GH₵720 Container Administrative Charge per Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit (TEU).
It appealed to the Minister of Transport to convene an urgent meeting involving the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, shipping lines, their agents, freight forwarders, importers and exporters to resolve the matter.
The association also called for stronger security within the port enclave following reported robbery attacks involving transporters and people offloading cargo.
It urged the police and other security agencies to strengthen patrols, surveillance and rapid-response measures to protect businesses and their goods.
Moreover, the IEAG urged the GRA to improve its digital payment platforms following a reported week-long breakdown of the Ghana.gov system at the port, which it said had caused financial and time losses to businesses.
The association highlighted that Ghana’s port reforms would succeed only if technological improvements were matched by adequate infrastructure, reliable digital systems, stronger security and sustained engagement with the trading community.
BY ENOCH NTIAMOAH SIAW
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