The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) expects a likely decline in cargo berths at the port of 20 to 25 percent this year, particularly for shipments that enter the nation from the Russia-Ukraine areas.
According to data gathered from shippers, cargo flow into the nation will decrease as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war since around 25% of the country's imports of wheat and fertiliser came from Russia and Ukraine, according to Mr. Michael Luguje, Director-General of the GPHA.
At the seventh meeting of the Harbour Masters and Port Facility Security Officers (PFSOS) of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA) in Tema, Mr. Luguje made the remark.
Participants from Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Senegal, and other countries in West and Central Africa attended the three-day conference to exchange ideas, identify common port concerns, and develop comprehensive solutions to address those challenges.
The PMAWCA President, Mr. Luguje, urged importers to explore for alternate sources of supply while noting that doing so would incur higher expenses and, thus, reduce the amount of goods being imported.
He emphasised how adaptable port operators must be in their planning, taking into account the possibility of the exact opposite of the current scenario.
Every budget we create today takes into account the possibility that we may wake up one day and only have access to half of it; how will we manage with the other half, he added. "That extreme one could be you wake up one morning and nothing is moving; how do you handle it."
The GPHA Director-General has also given port operators instructions to create a strategy plan and establish policies for revenue management, cost planning, and the use of all other distant resources, including technology, to guarantee effective operation.
Additionally, Mr. Luguje urged port operators to think about investing in wind power and urged sensible steps to reduce the usage of fossil fuels and electricity.