Importers And Exporters Association Raises Concern About Slow Growth of Tema Port Traffic
- The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana has raised concerns about the slow growth of traffic at the Tema Port
- The phenomenon has been attributed to tough competition from the Lomé Port in Togo, which has been receiving traffic diverting from Ghana
- The issue was raised at the Port Effectiveness and Public-Private Cooperation for Competitiveness Project (PEPP II), funded by the Danish Foreign Ministry
The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana has urged the government to create a business-friendly environment to boost port traffic.
This follows Ghana’s slow port traffic growth in recent times as a result of tough competition from Togo.
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Whereas the Tema Port receives 1.2 million containers per annum, Togo’s Lomé Port receives 1.5 million containers per annum.
This is despite both ports, starting in the early 2000s, receiving about 200,000 to 300,000 containers annually.
According to the association, the slow growth of port traffic demonstrated Ghana’s declining attractiveness as a place to do business.
The concern was raised at an event to launch the Port Effectiveness and Public-Private Cooperation for Competitiveness Project (PEPP II), funded by the Danish Foreign Ministry.
The project seeks to provide data to inform decision-making processes at the state level to enhance Ghana’s blue economy and improve port efficiency.
Speaking at the launch, Dr George VanDyck, the lead researcher on governance, port clusters and competitiveness within the Tema Ports, stated that to address the slow traffic growth, Ghana needed to improve the business environment to outcompete Togo.
According to Dr Abena Animwaa Yeboah-Banin, Head of the Communication Department at the University of Ghana, the project would see researchers from various disciplines contribute to developing information on Ghana’s blue economy.
It would support local industries to meet global demands and inform new government policies that would improve maritime trade, among other things.
She encouraged other researchers interested in the blue economy to join the PEPP II to improve data collection.
Bawumia promises to improve the business environment at ports
Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has promised to implement more predictable rates to improve the business environment at the ports.
According to the Vice President, the measure would address foreign exchange challenges that plague traders at the ports and often lead to port traffic diverting to neighbouring countries.
He stated that his future government would improve the general business environment to allow for business expansion and more innovation to drive development.
He also revealed that to make Ghana’s ports as competitive as the Lomé Port, considered the busiest port in West Africa, a new policy would be introduced to make port duties at Ghana’s ports either the same as Lomé’s or lower.
Bawumia to impose flat tax rate
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, in his quest to improve the business environment in Ghana, promised to impose a flat tax rate on businesses if he became president.
He spoke at a stakeholder interaction with members of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
