Transport Minister Joseph Bukari Nikpe has acknowledged persistent container congestion at the Tema Port, attributing the challenge partly to infrastructure not keeping pace with growing cargo volumes.

Speaking during a visit to the Meridian Port Services (MPS) Terminal at the Tema Port, Mr Nikpe engaged management on measures to improve the movement of cargo into and out of the facility.

“Currently, we are faced with a challenge, the container congestions in the port, and I believe this worries all of us, including you,” he said.

The Minister explained that although the development of Terminal 3 has significantly expanded the port’s capacity, complementary infrastructure linking the facility to other parts of the transport network had not received similar expansion.

“We are putting in Terminal 3, the containers, the cargo is coming, but we didn’t continue to improve other infrastructure that is linking up with the port,” he noted.

Mr Nikpe said government was therefore considering upgrades to roads and harbour routes, as well as the construction of additional berths to accommodate more vessels calling at the port.

“That’s why we are talking about the material routes, and then the harbour route expansions. And again, looking at creating more new berths that will be able to receive whatever ships that will be calling on our port,” he said.

The Transport Minister assured port operators and other stakeholders that government would fast-track the proposed interventions to ease congestion and improve the efficiency of the Tema Port.

“Government is looking at how we can fast-track activities to be able to remove this challenge,” he said, stressing that the broader objective was to strengthen the port’s efficiency and maintain Ghana’s position as a preferred destination for maritime trade.