The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has called on the Finance Minister to convene an emergency meeting with shipping lines, port operators and other stakeholders over persistent delays and operational disruptions at Tema Port.
In a statement dated Monday, October 19, 2026, the Association said delays in shipping invoices, payment processing and container releases, alongside disruptions at the Meridian Port Services (MPS) Terminal 3, were increasing costs for businesses and undermining port efficiency.
IEAG wants the meeting to involve the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA), Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), shipping lines, terminal operators and other industry stakeholders to identify the causes of the delays, establish responsibility and agree on immediate solutions.
“The meeting must establish the causes of the persistent delays, identify parties responsible for the reported operational failures, agree on immediate relief measures for affected businesses and set clear, enforceable timelines for resolving the challenges,” the Association said.
The Association warned that affected businesses could incur additional demurrage, rent and storage charges even after meeting payment and documentation requirements.
“The Association considers it fundamentally unfair for businesses to bear the financial consequences of service failures they neither caused nor control,” the statement said.
IEAG also reported that more than 120 trucks scheduled to transfer containers at MPS Terminal 3 had been delayed by issues attributed to terminal operations. It called for an investigation into the disruptions and the basis for any additional charges imposed on affected port users.
The Association further called for the review and enforcement of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to establish clear service timelines, responsibilities and remedies for failures.
It cautioned that continued delays could disrupt supply chains, undermine business confidence and heighten tensions between service providers and port users.
“The proposed meeting must not become another routine consultation without tangible outcomes. It must produce clear decisions, deadlines, assigned responsibilities and an effective mechanism for tracking implementation,” IEAG said.
“The time for urgent intervention is now,” the statement added.
