GPHA- Takoradi records a 43 percent rise in exports

The Port of Takoradi, has recorded an increase in its export traffic between January – November this year with a 43 percentage point, relative to its performance last year within the same period. In its absolute terms, export recorded a 2.2 million metric tonnes through the port from January to November this year.

Overall, performance of the Port hit a 21 percent rise with 9.9 million metric tonnes in absolute terms, compared to the 8.2 million metric tonnes recorded in 2018.

Despite these gains, import, transit, and transshipment at the port fell by 13, 26, and 21 percent respectively.

Director of Port, at the Ghana Port and Harbours Authority, Takoradi, Captain Ebenezer Kojo Afadzi at a stakeholders’ engagement yesterday charged industry players to commit efforts at improving performance in the coming years.

“..and we want to ask our stakeholders, especially our agents to get us more import next year” he requested.

Captain Afadzi continued that vessel calls at the port also fell by 206, from a record high of 1712 in 2018 to 1506 this year between January and November.

Commercial vessel calls at the port increased from 645 in 2018 to 743 in 2019. Captain Afadzi however noted that, a oil supply vessel calls at the port fell from 1,067 in 2018 to 793 in 2019.

“The situation is however set to change in the coming year with a lot of activities expected in the oil and gas fields in 2020” he sounded optimistic.

Prospects 

The Port of Takoradi, with the approval of the downstream petroleum framework, coupled with an executive instrument  which was signed by the President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo in March 2019; which declared a stretch of land that spans from the New Takoradi end of the Port to the Naval Base in Sekondi, as earmarked for reclamation for the Petrochemical Industry, presents greater opportunites for company in the coming years.

Management intends to establish huge tank farms and gas storage facilities among others at the earmarked area.

Captain Afadzi hinted that four companies have already expressed interest to partner the GPHA , for the development of the land to support the New Takoradi oil Refinery and other petrochemicial industries.