Transport Minister Joseph Bukari Nikpe has admitted to ongoing container congestion at the Tema Port, blaming the bottleneck on inland infrastructure failing to keep pace with rising cargo volumes.
During an inspection of the Meridian Port Services (MPS) Terminal at the port, Mr Nikpe conferred with management on strategy to streamline cargo traffic flowing through the facility.
“Currently, we are faced with a challenge, the container congestions in the port, and I believe this worries all of us, including you,” he stated.
The Minister pointed out that while the construction of Terminal 3 greatly boosted the port’s handling capacity, connecting transit networks did not receive corresponding upgrades.
“We are putting in Terminal 3, the containers, the cargo is coming, but we didn’t continue to improve other infrastructure that is linking up with the port,” he observed.
To address the situation, Mr Nikpe indicated that the government is evaluating road and harbour corridor expansions, alongside constructing extra berths to handle incoming vessels.
“That’s why we are talking about the material routes, and then the harbour route expansions. And again, looking at creating more new berths that will be able to receive whatever ships that will be calling on our port,” he noted.
He reassured port operators and stakeholders of swift government intervention to eliminate delays and enhance overall operational efficiency at the Tema Port.
“Government is looking at how we can fast-track activities to be able to remove this challenge,” he added, emphasizing that the main goal is to optimize port performance and secure Ghana’s standing as a leading maritime trade hub.
By:Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
