According to Mr. Michael Luguje, Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), between January and September 2022, cargo at Ghana's ports decreased by 15 and 17%.
"GPHA is hoping and trusting for a stronger traffic flow to Ghana's ports in 2023," Mr. Luguje stated.
He said this while speaking with a group of Tema-based journalists at a Press Soiree the GPHA hosted to thank the media for the year.
The numbers for transit cargo were still beyond the maximum limit throughout the period, according to Mrs. Sandra Opoku, Director of Tema Port, but all the others saw a decline.
Mrs. Opoku stated that the GPHA anticipates success in 2023 now that the cedi is stabilising since many importers were adopting the wait-and-see mentality, which is what caused the decline in volumes.
She said that despite the Ghana Export Promotion Authority's best efforts to the contrary, one of the things GPHA discovered in its operations was that Ghana had a very low export drive.
According to Mr. Samuel Ntow Kumi, General Manager, Corporate Planning, GPHA, the Port Authority made significant investments in its operating infrastructure and infrastructure maintenance that needed to be recouped through tariffs.
The port, according to Mr. Kumi, was operating without any financial assistance from the government, and as a result, it created the Tema and Takoradi Ports with financial obligations and business partnerships.
He said that a comprehensive procedure, including stakeholder interaction with freight forwarders and regulatory authorities among others, was adopted before tariffs were determined.
He claimed that the GPHA was the only organisation investing in the ports, despite the fact that its tariffs accounted for less than 12% of all cargo-related fees.
He urged all involved parties to be understanding and patient if there was an increase.
During the soiree, journalists praised the GPHA for its friendly interactions with the media and inquired about a variety of topics, including the MPS concession, Keta Port, and Tema Shipyard.
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