Yes. Since the **infrastructure-expansion angle, clearance delays and empty-container problem have already received substantial coverage**, a stronger new angle would be to frame the story around **the cost of congestion and the accountability gaps behind it**.
### Suggested new headline
**Tema Port Congestion: Importers Demand Action on Delays, Extortion and Empty Containers**
Other options:
* **Tema Port Crisis: Importers Flag Extortion, Delays as Major Cost Drivers**
* **Beyond Congestion: IEAG Demands Accountability at Tema Port**
* **Tema Port Bottlenecks Threaten Trade Efficiency as Importers Seek Regulatory Action**
* **Who Is Responsible for Tema Port Delays? IEAG Raises Red Flags**
* **Importers Push GMA to Tackle Port Delays, Extortion and Container Backlog**
The angle is timely because the Ghana Shippers’ Authority and Transport Ministry have also undertaken recent interventions into the congestion, while GPHA has attributed the problem partly to rising import traffic, empty containers and road congestion. ([Ghana News Agency][1])
Tema, Ghana —The growing congestion at the Tema Port is exposing deeper operational and regulatory challenges that require more than an expansion of physical infrastructure, the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has said.
The Association is calling for stronger regulatory oversight of activities at the port, particularly alleged extortion, unnecessary delays in cargo inspections and the failure of some shipping lines to evacuate empty containers promptly.
The concerns were raised when a fact-finding team from the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) engaged the IEAG on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, as part of efforts to gather stakeholder perspectives on the persistent congestion and operational difficulties confronting Ghana’s major maritime gateway.
IEAG Executive Secretary, Samson Asaki Awingobit, told the team that while increasing cargo volumes were putting pressure on available port infrastructure, operational inefficiencies and the conduct of some actors within the cargo-clearance chain were also contributing to the problem.
He urged the GMA to investigate complaints of alleged extortion and unnecessary delays involving some inspection and security agencies operating at the port.
According to him, such practices, if established, could increase the cost of importing and exporting while prolonging the period cargo remains within the port.
The call for greater accountability comes at a time when several institutions are examining the causes of congestion at Tema Port. The Ghana Shippers’ Authority recently undertook its own fact-finding exercise, while the Transport Ministry has engaged Meridian Port Services (MPS) over delays in container inspection and clearance.
Empty containers add pressure
Mr. Awingobit also identified the accumulation of empty containers as another area requiring stronger regulatory intervention.
He called for shipping lines that fail to promptly evacuate or repatriate empty containers after their associated import cargo has been cleared to face appropriate sanctions.
The IEAG Executive Secretary argued that empty containers occupy valuable terminal space and can restrict the ability of terminals to efficiently receive and handle incoming cargo.
The issue has already emerged as one of the major concerns surrounding the current congestion. GPHA has previously identified rising import traffic and the movement of empty containers among factors contributing to pressure on the port, and has introduced measures to accelerate empty-container evacuation.
Infrastructure alone may not solve the problem
While calling for stronger operational oversight, the IEAG also maintained that Tema Port requires additional capacity to accommodate Ghana’s expanding trade volumes.
Mr. Awingobit urged the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to explore the possibility of reclaiming port lands whose leases have expired or are due to expire, where legally permissible, and developing additional container-handling facilities.
He said the growth in cargo volumes, including the increasing traffic handled through Terminal 3, required authorities to plan ahead rather than wait until congestion becomes more severe.
The concern reflects a broader challenge facing the port: expanding cargo-handling capacity must be matched by improvements in the infrastructure and systems that move cargo through and beyond the terminal.
The Transport Ministry has similarly acknowledged that supporting infrastructure has struggled to keep pace with growing cargo volumes and is examining measures to improve the movement of containers from the port.
Businesses bear the cost
For importers and exporters, prolonged delays at the port can translate into higher logistics and operational costs.
Longer cargo dwell times can expose businesses to additional charges while delays in moving containers can disrupt supply chains and ultimately affect the prices consumers pay for imported goods.
The Transport Minister, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, has also raised concerns about prolonged container clearance, noting that additional costs such as demurrage can eventually be passed on to consumers.
This makes the congestion challenge not simply a port-management issue but a wider trade and cost-of-living concern.
Call for coordinated oversight
The IEAG is therefore advocating a coordinated response involving the GMA, GPHA, Ghana Shippers’ Authority, shipping lines, terminal operators, Customs and other agencies involved in cargo inspection and clearance.
The Association believes that addressing congestion sustainably will require authorities to examine both the physical capacity of the port and the procedures governing the movement of cargo.
The GMA fact-finding team, comprising Esi Sam, Albert Ameyaw and Nad Marvin Beyouri, expressed appreciation to the IEAG for its observations and recommendations and indicated that the inputs would inform its ongoing efforts to identify practical measures to address the congestion.
For IEAG, the immediate priority is to ensure that Ghana’s port infrastructure and regulatory systems keep pace with the country’s growing trading activity.
The Association said it remained committed to working with government and industry stakeholders to promote a more efficient, competitive and business-friendly maritime environment.
The emerging debate over Tema Port therefore goes beyond how much cargo the facility can handle. It also raises questions about how efficiently, transparently and accountably that cargo moves through the system.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com