The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), would from July this year, introduce the Terminal Operating System (TOS) at the Tema Port to reduce cargo clearing time.

The TOS would replace the face to face Berthing Meeting held thrice a week at the port to deliberate on berthing activities including the number of vessels entering the port, its distributions to berths, equipments to handle the discharge of cargoes among other things.

Mrs Alice Torkornoo, the General Manager in charge of Business Development at the GPHA, announced this on Tuesday during the opening ceremony of a three-day training programme for the Berthing Meeting Association organized by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT).

Mrs Torkornoo said the move was part of measures to computerize all operations at the Port including berthing; adding that, the berthing meeting, which used to be daily, was reduced to three times a week, and now the aim was to go online.

She indicated that her outfit has been working on the TOS for the past 18 months and training has been organized for the stakeholders.

She explained that with the Terminal Operating System, there would be forms online, which stakeholders would be required to provide the needed information to enable vessels to be allocated to the needed berths, stevedoring companies, logistics and equipments.

According to her, the TOS introduction would cut down on several hours spent during the berthing meeting and would also help with the provision of accurate information as well as hasten the cargo clearance at the Port.

Mrs Torkornoo gave the assurance that despite the energy crisis, the GPHA has the needed generator sets and power backups to ensure the sustainability of the system at all times.

Mr Jacob Adorkor, the Director of Tema Port, who was the Special Guest at the training programme, said the GPHA was turning the Port into an electronic one as it pertains in other countries.

Mr Adorkor said all activities at the Port would gradually be transferred onto the electronic platform to ensure that in the next four years, the Tema Port would be fully electronically compliant.

He stated that currently, the Port Authority was registering all Port users biometrically, and that, without the electronic identity card admission would not be granted.

He added that trucks and vehicles operating at the Port were all going through registration to enable them access to the Port, adding that, failure on the part of stakeholders to register meant their inability to enter the Port.

Mr Adorkor said the aim of electronically connecting activities in the Port is to reduce, to the minimum, unnecessary human activities at the operation areas.

He added that most of the offices at the Port were currently being located at the periphery of the Port, noting that, Custom activities would also be outside the Port.

Mr Lackson Legah, the Chairman of the Tema Branch of CILT, stated that the maiden training programme was to enlighten operators on the new development at the Port.