President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that the government is working towards an agreement on the expansion of Berth 5 at Meridian Port Services (MPS) to increase container-handling capacity at the Tema Port.
He said the proposed expansion, together with improvements at the old Tema Port, would help address growing congestion resulting from increasing shipping volumes.
Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the $98.41 million Berth 19 facility at the Takoradi Port and a floating dry dock project, President Mahama said the Tema Port had experienced significant growth and had become a major maritime hub in West Africa.
According to him, the volume of shipping traffic arriving at the MPS terminal has increased considerably, creating pressure on existing facilities.
“Even with the current volume that we increased, MPS is getting congested, because of the demand and the volumes of shipping that are coming in,” he stated.
President Mahama explained that the Tema Port has become a major transshipment destination, attracting some of the largest vessels operating along the West African coast.
He noted that these vessels often discharge containers destined for neighbouring countries, including Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, before the cargo is redistributed across the West African coastline using smaller river vessels.
The President said the government is therefore considering additional investments to expand capacity at both the MPS terminal and the old Tema Port.
He disclosed that dredging works has already been undertaken at the old port, increasing its depth to 14 metres to accommodate larger vessels.
President Mahama also highlighted the importance of the Tema-Mpakadan railway line in addressing congestion at the port.
He said the GPHA is establishing a terminal at Kpone to facilitate the movement of empty containers and other cargo away from the congested port area.
The plan, he explained, would involve extending the railway line to Kpone to enable containers to be transported from the Tema Port to the new terminal for storage.
President Mahama said the initiative would improve cargo evacuation, reduce congestion and enhance the efficiency of port operations.
He stressed that expanding Ghana’s port infrastructure was necessary to sustain the country’s growing position in regional maritime trade.
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Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️) Presidential Affairs Correspondent | Ghana 🇬🇭