The Tema Port successfully managed 18 million tonnes of cargo, while the Takoradi Port handled eight million tonnes in 2023.
This remarkable performance came as a boost in the latter half of the year after a slow start.
Mr. Michael Achagwe Luguje, the Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority (GPHA), disclosed during a media forum that the total cargo traffic through Ghana’s ports in 2023 was merely one million tonnes shy of the 2022 figures.
Notably, the Takoradi Port outperformed its previous year’s performance.
Attributing the improved second-half performance to collaborative initiatives with external stakeholders and broader economic factors, Mr. Luguje highlighted the GPHA’s efforts.
These initiatives included introducing a scheme to stabilise exchange rates on transit goods at three-month intervals, mitigating increased costs due to fluctuating rates.
In early 2023, the GPHA engaged stakeholders in Ghana and shipping lines to identify factors contributing to the decline in import figures.
The findings were presented to Ghana’s economic management team, and Mr. Luguje expressed confidence in the implementation of measures to reduce the rising cost of doing business in the country’s seaports.
Addressing misconceptions about port charges, Mr. Luguje clarified that GPHA’s charges constituted only 10 percent of the total clearance cost.
“A good chunk of it comes from duties and statutory taxes; the government’s attention has been drawn to it, and they are looking at it to see what can be done to reduce it,” Mr. Luguje stated.
He emphasized that duties, statutory taxes, shipping lines, and freight forwarders also played significant roles in determining costs. The government, he assured, was actively examining ways to alleviate this burden.
“Apart from that, other operators like shipping lines and freight forwarders also contribute to it.”
Mr. Luguje reminded the business community that the efficiency of port systems and infrastructure directly influenced the cost of doing business in the logistics sector.
As a result, the GPHA is dedicated to enhancing port efficiency, aspiring to establish Ghana as the preferred hub in the sub-region.