Ghana’s logistics challenges are imposing substantial additional costs on businesses, with delays at the country’s ports alone resulting in about $60 million in demurrage payments last year, the West African Regional Director of CUTS International, Appiah Adomako Kusi, has said.
He said the payments were largely incurred by shipping lines and Bulk Distribution Companies (BDCs) as vessels carrying finished petroleum products remained at the ports longer than expected because of delays in discharging their cargo.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, September 22, Mr Adomako Kusi said the scale of the demurrage payments highlighted broader weaknesses in the country’s logistics and cargo-handling systems that required urgent attention.
“Last year close to about $60 million was paid as demurrage to shipping lines because of the delays it takes for these shipping vessels to be able to unload the finished products into the country,” he said.
According to him, the problem is not limited to the petroleum sector, as businesses importing clinker and other goods also face delays that increase their operating costs.
He said freight forwarders had similarly raised concerns about delays in clearing cargo at the airport, suggesting that inefficiencies existed across different entry points into the country.
Mr Adomako Kusi further identified the high cost of domestic air transport as another challenge, saying the various difficulties pointed to the need for a comprehensive review of Ghana’s logistics system.
He called for measures to improve the movement of goods and people, arguing that reducing delays and associated charges would help lower costs for businesses and strengthen the efficiency of the economy.
