Ghana’s transport and logistics industry continues to suffer many setbacks largely because of the disorganized and fragmented nature of the industry.

It is an industry dominated by large number of informal and unorganized trucks and truck owners. With Logistics regarded as the backbone of the economy, providing efficient and cost effective flow of goods on which other commercial sectors depend on would be of great benefit to the economy.

It is in this light that Ridmut Consult has held the second edition of the Ghana Transport and Logistics Conference to tackle the evolution of an effective transport and logistics value chain for an accelerated development in Ghana.

The CEO of Ridmut Consult, Mutawakil Riyad called on stakeholders within the transport sector to brainstorm on alternative channels to improve the sector.

“With the goal to create a synergy and strengthen the collaboration between the public and the private sector in the transport and logistics sector”, he said.

The Technical Advisor to the Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Marfo, Robert Poku Kyei, said the Tema port expansion project when completed will meet the increasing demand of port services. He called for a fund like the Ghana Infrastructure Fund (GIF), to tackle the infrastructural deficit within the transport sector.

“Government has also put together a team of experts in the transports and logistics industry, tasked with the responsibility of seeing to the implementation of a paperless port system, where cargo can be cleared from the port, within 48 hours on arrival,” he stated.

The Marketing and Public Relations Manager at Tema Port, Josephine Asante, speaking on the single window system and prospects for efficient transport and logistics operations in Ghana said, implementation of the single window has been beneficial since the introduction of the paperless system.

“The single window, there is nothing like it. It is the best thing that can happen to any transport organization. The benefit of that, this simple process, is cost reduction- that is the bottom line”, she expressed.

The personnel and Administration Manager of Tema Shipyard, Samuel Adjar said the Port Authority is investing in infrastructure, to make the port more efficient.

“One of the functions of the port is to invest in infrastructure. That is why along the line the organization took the decision to have a freshly built reefer yard”.