The Advocates for Indigenous Freight Forwarders have raised concerns over alleged inefficiencies in scanning equipment operated by Meridian Port Services (MPS) at the Tema Port, warning that the situation is delaying container clearance and worsening congestion.
The group is calling on the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) and the government to compel MPS to upgrade or replace the equipment, which it says is struggling to connect with the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) in real time.
The group’s Convenor, Dr. Godfred Mawuli Tettey, argues that the delays are preventing containers scheduled for examination from moving through the clearance process promptly, leaving importers, freight forwarders and other port users to bear the consequences.
According to him, the scanning equipment, locally referred to by industry players as the “boom,” has become obsolete and is no longer sufficiently efficient to support the demands of modern port operations.
Dr. Tettey said the equipment’s reported inability to transmit or retrieve scanning information through ICUMS in real time was creating bottlenecks in customs examination and the subsequent release of containers.
He believes the resulting delays are contributing significantly to the congestion at the country’s main container port.
Concerns over additional inspections
The Advocates for Indigenous Freight Forwarders have also questioned what they describe as an additional inspection responsibility being undertaken at the MPS terminal, arguing that the practice is prolonging the clearance process.
Dr. Tettey maintains that removing the additional inspection at that point could ease pressure on the terminal and help accelerate the movement of containers.
“Even some Customs officers are complaining,” he said, citing what he described as growing dissatisfaction with the delays associated with the process.
The group is therefore urging the relevant authorities to review the inspection arrangements at the terminal and establish whether the additional checks can be streamlined or conducted at a more appropriate point in the clearance chain.
However, the group has yet to publicly establish the specific provisions of the MPS operational agreement that it believes exclude the additional inspection responsibility. The claim requires clarification from MPS and the relevant port and customs authorities.
Two-week ultimatum
The freight forwarders have given the relevant authorities two weeks to address their concerns, warning that they may take to the streets in protest if no action is taken.
They want the GPHA and the government to ensure that MPS upgrades or replaces the equipment and reviews the inspection arrangements blamed for the delays.
The group argues that without urgent intervention, the persistent bottlenecks could continue to undermine efficient cargo clearance, increase operational costs and deepen congestion at the port.
Background
The Integrated Customs Management System is Ghana’s electronic platform for processing customs declarations, classification, valuation, approvals and other import-clearance procedures.
According to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the system supports the processing of import declarations and the assessment and payment of applicable duties and taxes. Depending on the risk classification of a consignment, cargo may be subjected to physical examination, digital scanning or scanning at the exit gate.
The latest concerns come amid broader reports of scanning and operational challenges at the MPS terminal, where stakeholders have previously raised alarms over delays in retrieving scan images and moving containers through the clearance process. Such bottlenecks have been linked to longer waiting times and increased costs for importers and freight forwarders.
The Ghana Shippers Authority has also previously engaged MPS over concerns about examination delays and other operational challenges affecting services at Terminal 3.
Meanwhile MPS and the relevant authorities are yet to respond to the latest allegations, particularly the claims that the scanning equipment is obsolete, that its connection with ICUMS is inefficient, and that the additional inspection falls outside the company’s operational agreement.
The outcome of the proposed two-week deadline could prove significant for freight forwarders and other businesses that depend on the timely movement of cargo through the Tema Port.
