A coalition of trade and freight forwarders’ associations has announced a coordinated four-day strike action at the Tema Port, warning of significant disruptions to port operations over what they describe as operational challenges associated with the introduction of a new public and AI-driven system.

The group says the system has led to increased duties and inefficiencies, insisting that its implementation must be suspended immediately pending further review.

Addressing a press briefing to announce the industrial action, the General Secretary of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders, Paul Kobina Mensah, declared the start of the coordinated strike, warning that the action could escalate further if concerns are not addressed.

He stated that traders and freight forwarders were united in their decision to halt key activities at the port, including the payment of duties and processing of imports.

"We are taking a four-day coordinated strike from tomorrow, Tuesday, April 14 to Friday, April 17. After that, the traders will be asked to bring their action for the following week so that it continues till ears are given to our issues," he said.

He added that members had been urged to suspend imports and payments, arguing that it was impractical to continue clearing goods under what they described as an unstable system.

“We are not going to pay the duties tomorrow. Some of the payments are done online, and we are monitoring that. We are not going to be processing online payments as well,” he indicated.

Mr. Mensah further called for the establishment of a structured governance framework for port operations, proposing a high-level regulatory body to coordinate policy, enforcement, and certification across key agencies, including finance, trade, transport, and safety.

He argued that such a structure should be properly defined, transparent, and supported by documented procedures to ensure clarity in appeals and administrative processes.

“We need a professionalised system with fully documented and published procedures so that everybody knows the process,” he said.