The Minister for Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry, Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, convened an emergency stakeholder meeting on February 23, 2026, to address critical port delays that have left clinker shipments stranded and triggered heavy financial losses for the cement industry.
The meeting, held in collaboration with Transport Minister Hon. Joseph Bukari Nikpe and the Chamber of Cement Manufacturers Ghana (COCMAG), sought to mitigate a crisis where vessels are reportedly waiting between 13 to 20 days to berth.
Industry leaders warned that the mounting demurrage costs resulting from these delays could eventually force a hike in retail cement prices if operational bottlenecks at the harbor are not immediately resolved.
During the deliberations, the CEO of COCMAG, Bishop Dr. George Dawson-Ahmoah, characterized the situation as a significant financial leak for manufacturers, as the two-to-three-week delays in discharging raw materials like clinker, gypsum, and slag continue to accumulate daily charges.
In response, the Minister for Transport explained that the congestion is primarily due to the current inability of existing berths to accommodate larger vessels. He assured the delegation that government is fast-tracking dredging works to expand capacity from the current 8,000-tonne limit to over 20,000 tonnes.
While full completion of the dredging is expected by the end of June, portions around Berth 14 are slated for completion within the next two weeks to provide immediate relief.
Mrs. Ofosu-Adjare emphasized that the government’s intervention is twofold: protecting the consumer from price shocks and ensuring that the industrial sector remains globally competitive by reducing production inefficiencies.
She stated that even a single day of operational delay can translate into millions of dollars in losses, reaffirming the Ministry’s commitment to acting swiftly whenever industry stability is threatened.
Following the discussions, the President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Pharm. Kofi Nsiah-Poku, expressed optimism that the combination of interim operational flexibility and long-term infrastructure expansion would restore efficiency and stabilize market pricing by mid-year.
Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
