IEAG urges Finance Minister to convene emergency meeting over Tema Port crisis
The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has called on the Minister for Finance to convene an emergency stakeholder meeting to address persistent shipping-line delays, terminal disruptions and mounting financial losses at the Tema Port.
The Association says delays in invoicing, payment processing and container releases, coupled with reported disruptions at the Meridian Port Services (MPS) Terminal 3, are increasing costs for importers, exporters, freight forwarders, clearing agents and transport operators.
In a press statement issued on October 19, 2026, and signed by its Executive Secretary, Samson Asaki Awingobit, IEAG warned that the challenges were undermining port efficiency, disrupting supply chains and heightening tensions within Ghana’s maritime trade sector.
The Association is demanding an emergency, high-level meeting involving the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA), Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), shipping lines, terminal operators and other relevant stakeholders to establish the causes of the delays, identify those responsible and agree on immediate relief measures.
“The matter therefore requires urgent ministerial attention and coordinated intervention rather than routine stakeholder engagements that do not produce measurable results,” the statement said.
IEAG is particularly concerned that delays in the issuance of invoices, payment confirmation and container releases can expose businesses to additional demurrage, rent, storage and related charges, even when they have fulfilled their payment and documentation requirements.
The Association argues that businesses should not be made to bear the financial consequences of service failures beyond their control.
It has therefore urged the Finance Minister to secure firm commitments from shipping lines on invoicing timelines, payment processing, container release procedures and complaint resolution, as well as appropriate remedies where service failures are established.
IEAG has also called on the GSA to investigate complaints and pursue appropriate measures within its statutory mandate, while urging the GPHA to strengthen oversight of port operations and work with terminal operators to address bottlenecks.
The Association further wants applicable Service Level Agreements to be enforced through measurable performance standards, clear turnaround times, defined responsibilities and appropriate remedies for breaches.
“The message is clear: Ghana’s port users cannot continue to absorb the financial consequences of persistent service delays while the underlying operational failures remain unresolved,” the statement said.
IEAG insists that the proposed meeting must produce concrete decisions, deadlines and assigned responsibilities, with an effective mechanism for monitoring implementation.
It says urgent intervention is necessary to restore operational efficiency, protect legitimate commercial interests and prevent further escalation of tensions at the Tema Port.
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