The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has called on the Minister for Finance to convene an emergency, high-level stakeholder meeting to address persistent shipping-line delays, operational disruptions at the Meridian Port Services (MPS) Terminal 3 and mounting financial losses facing businesses and other users of the Tema Port.
In a press statement issued on October 19, 2026, the Association said delays in shipping invoices, payment processing, payment confirmation and container release were imposing avoidable costs on importers, exporters, clearing and forwarding agents, freight forwarders, consignees, transport operators and other port users.
IEAG warned that the challenges were undermining port efficiency, disrupting supply chains, increasing business costs and heightening tensions across Ghana’s maritime trade and logistics sector.
The Association wants the proposed emergency meeting to bring together the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA), Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), shipping lines, terminal operators, clearing and forwarding agents, freight forwarders and other relevant stakeholders.
It says the meeting should establish the causes of the persistent delays, identify parties responsible for reported operational failures, agree on immediate relief measures for affected businesses and set clear, enforceable timelines for resolving the challenges.
IEAG cautioned that continued inaction could deepen the financial burden on businesses, weaken confidence in Ghana’s port system and trigger further confrontations between service providers and port users. It therefore insists that the situation requires urgent ministerial intervention and coordinated action rather than routine stakeholder engagements without measurable results.
Shipping-line delays impose additional costs on shippers
IEAG expressed particular concern about delays in the issuance of shipping invoices, payment confirmation and container release, which can prevent shippers from completing clearance and taking delivery of their cargo within expected timeframes.
According to the Association, these delays can lead to additional demurrage, rent, storage and related charges, including in circumstances where a shipper has fulfilled the relevant payment and documentation requirements but remains unable to proceed because an essential service has not been provided.
The Association considers it unfair for businesses to bear the financial consequences of service failures they neither caused nor control.
While acknowledging that legitimate demurrage, rent and storage charges serve recognised operational and commercial purposes, IEAG says their application must be transparent, fair and consistent with applicable tariffs, contractual terms and the law.
It argues that where delays are attributable to a shipping line’s internal processes or other service-provider failures, the circumstances must be investigated before the resulting charges are imposed or upheld.
IEAG is therefore urging the Finance Minister to use the proposed meeting to secure firm commitments from shipping lines on invoicing timelines, payment processing, container-release procedures, complaint resolution and appropriate remedies for demonstrable service failures.
The Association has also called on the Ghana Shippers’ Authority to exercise its statutory mandate to protect and promote shippers’ interests by investigating complaints, engaging relevant service providers and pursuing appropriate regulatory measures within its authority.
It wants the GPHA to strengthen oversight of port operations within its jurisdiction and work with terminal operators to address bottlenecks affecting cargo movement.
IEAG raises concern over reported MSC office confrontation
The Association has also expressed concern about reports of a confrontation at the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) office at the Tema Port, during which an alleged assault incident was reported.
IEAG has condemned violence, intimidation and unlawful conduct, calling for an impartial investigation by the appropriate authorities and lawful action against anyone found culpable.
However, it says the reported incident should also prompt an urgent examination of the wider operational grievances confronting port users, including prolonged delays, mounting charges and difficulties accessing essential shipping services.
The Association warned that persistent uncertainty over invoices, payment confirmation and cargo release can increase financial pressure and frustration, potentially heightening tensions between service providers and their customers.
It cautioned that unresolved concerns could lead to further confrontations, serious injuries, destruction of property, disruption of port operations and threats to the safety of workers and the wider port community.
IEAG urged the authorities to act before a preventable confrontation results in serious injury or loss of life.
It wants the proposed emergency meeting to address both the immediate security concerns and the underlying operational grievances, with the aim of restoring confidence, promoting accountability and preventing further incidents within Ghana’s maritime trade sector.
More than 120 trucks reportedly affected by MPS Terminal 3 disruptions
IEAG has further raised concerns about reported operational delays at MPS Terminal 3, where more than 120 trucks scheduled to transfer containers were allegedly delayed by issues attributed to terminal operations.
The Association said such disruptions extend beyond the affected truck operators, potentially undermining terminal productivity, prolonging truck turnaround times, reducing equipment utilisation, disrupting haulage schedules, increasing container-movement costs and limiting truck availability for other cargo operations.
It warned that persistent delays in container transfer and evacuation could create bottlenecks across the wider logistics chain, affecting importers, exporters, transport operators and the national economy.
IEAG maintains that where containers have been scheduled for transfer, the relevant parties must ensure that operational arrangements, system readiness, documentation and release procedures are in place to facilitate timely movement.
The Association is particularly concerned about allegations and suspicions among affected stakeholders that prolonged delays may be contributing to the accumulation of rent, storage and other related charges. It emphasised that these claims have not been independently established and should be subjected to a transparent, evidence-based investigation.
It is therefore calling on the GPHA, working with MPS and other relevant stakeholders, to establish the precise causes of the reported disruptions, determine responsibility and clarify the basis on which any additional charges were imposed.
IEAG says where evidence establishes that operational failures attributable to a service provider caused the delays, affected port users should not be left to shoulder unjustified costs arising from those failures.
The Association wants these issues to feature prominently on the agenda of the proposed emergency meeting, with concrete measures agreed upon to prevent a recurrence.
IEAG demands stronger enforcement of service-level agreements
The Association says the recurring challenges highlight the need to review and enforce applicable Service Level Agreements (SLAs) governing shipping-line services, terminal operations, invoicing, payment processing, container release and cargo transfer.
IEAG argues that SLAs must go beyond contractual formalities by establishing clear performance standards, measurable turnaround times, defined responsibilities, escalation procedures and appropriate remedies when agreed obligations are not met.
It wants the proposed emergency meeting to prioritise the following measures:
Clear and enforceable service timelines for invoicing, payment processing and container release.
Immediate investigation of reported service failures and operational bottlenecks.
Fair and transparent treatment of demurrage, rent, storage and related charges.
Effective enforcement of applicable Service Level Agreements.
Transparent monitoring of service-provider performance.
A functional complaints and escalation mechanism for affected port users.
Operational contingency arrangements to minimise disruptions and prevent a recurrence.
IEAG considers it inequitable for shipping lines to enforce strict container-return deadlines and impose substantial charges for late returns while customers experiencing delays in invoicing, payment processing or container release may have limited practical recourse against the service providers responsible.
The Association stressed that it was not opposed to legitimate commercial charges but wanted them administered fairly, transparently and in accordance with the circumstances of each transaction.
It maintained that where a shipper has fulfilled all applicable obligations but cannot proceed because an essential process remains incomplete due to a service-provider failure, that failure must be investigated and the resulting financial consequences addressed appropriately.
According to IEAG, accountability in the maritime sector must be reciprocal: shippers must fulfil their obligations, while shipping lines and terminal operators must also be held accountable for the services they are contracted or required to provide.
Finance Minister urged to act urgently
IEAG has emphasised that the Tema Port is a critical gateway for Ghana’s international trade, with its operational efficiency directly affecting import costs, export competitiveness, supply-chain reliability, business confidence and the prices ultimately paid by consumers.
It warned that persistent delays, unresolved complaints, avoidable charges and disruptions to cargo movement undermine these objectives and place additional pressure on businesses operating in a demanding commercial environment.
The Association believes the scale and recurring nature of the challenges warrant urgent ministerial intervention to bring the relevant stakeholders together, establish accountability and secure practical solutions.
It insists that the proposed meeting must not become another consultation without tangible outcomes but should produce clear decisions, deadlines, assigned responsibilities and an effective mechanism for monitoring implementation.
IEAG is also calling for the findings of relevant investigations and the corrective actions agreed upon to be communicated transparently to affected stakeholders.
The Association maintains that Ghana’s port users cannot continue to absorb the financial consequences of persistent service delays while the underlying operational failures remain unresolved.
It has therefore urged the Minister for Finance to initiate the necessary intervention to restore operational efficiency, protect legitimate commercial interests and prevent further escalation of tensions at the Tema Port.
Story by Freedom Etsey Lavoe
