Tema, March 04, GNA -- Members of the Ghana Shippers' Council (GSC) on Thursday toured the Tema Port to assess the development programme the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) is carrying out to help ease congestion.

The tour followed complains made by importers and exporters over delay in the delivery and clearance of goods because of the congestion. Mr Gordon Anim, Director of Tema Port and Mr Bismarck Okutu, General Manager Engineering of the GPHA led them on the tour.

Mr Kofi Mbiah, Chief Executive of the GSC, said though seasonally the port experiences congestion, "this time round the congestion has caused a lot of anxiety among shippers.''

He expressed satisfaction with the on going development project at the port saying that there had been tremendous improvement and appealed to the GPHA to expedite work on it to bring relief to the port users. Mr Mbiah criticised the 100 percent physical examination of goods inside the port saying that the practice defeats the essence of containerisation system.''

"By this time goods should be lifted from the port area to outside for examination".

Mr Africanus Owusu-Ansah, Assistant Commissioner of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) at Tema, expressed regret at the congestion at the Tema Port.

He assured port users that "the CEPS would contribute positively to any measure aimed at improving the situation".