Two civil society organizations have called for urgent reforms in Ghana’s port and customs operations, citing concerns over public health, revenue losses, and alleged lack of accountability in key trade facilitation systems.
Addressing a joint press conference in Accra, Lead Convener of the New Voter Forum (NVF), Conqueror M. Korto, said the country’s trade architecture has been compromised by what he described as entrenched cronyism and poor service delivery, undermining national economic interests.
The press conference, organized by the New Voter Forum (NVF) and Democratic Credentials Network Ghana (DCN-Ghana), forms part of a media advocacy campaign aimed at promoting improved port service delivery in line with President John Dramani Mahama’s Reset Ghana Agenda.
A major concern raised by the groups relates to port disinfection services provided by LCB Worldwide. According to the CSOs, an independent assessment conducted at Ghana’s ports revealed what they described as inadequate disinfection practices that fall short of international standards.
The groups argued that ineffective disinfection of vessels, cargo, containers, and port facilities could expose Ghana to cross-border health threats and infectious diseases. They accused the Ghana Health Service (GHS) of failing to adequately enforce sanitary measures at the country’s ports despite its responsibility to safeguard public health.
The CSOs further referenced a corruption-risk assessment conducted by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) into the port disinfection arrangement between GHS and LCB Worldwide. They noted that the assessment reportedly identified weaknesses in the management of disinfection fees and recommended stronger accountability measures.
According to the groups, stakeholders deserve updates on the implementation of the OSP’s recommendations and the steps taken to safeguard public funds and strengthen transparency in the sector.
The organizations also expressed dissatisfaction with the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS), describing it as technically unreliable and detrimental to trade facilitation.
They alleged that frequent system downtimes continue to disrupt cargo clearance processes, increase costs for businesses, and reduce Ghana’s competitiveness as a regional trade and logistics hub.
The groups argued that importers and traders are often compelled to pay demurrage charges even during periods when the customs system is unavailable, resulting in financial losses and operational inefficiencies.
They further claimed that loopholes within the system have created opportunities for manipulation by some industry players, contributing to revenue leakages and higher costs for traders and consumers.
To address the challenges, the CSOs called on the Ghana Shippers Authority to convene a multi-stakeholder forum to discuss concerns surrounding port disinfection services and identify practical solutions.
They also urged the Office of the Special Prosecutor to provide an update on the implementation status of recommendations arising from its corruption-risk assessment into the LCB Worldwide arrangement.
Additionally, the groups demanded an independent international audit of the ICUMS platform, with full stakeholder participation, to identify and resolve operational deficiencies within Ghana’s customs and port systems.
They further proposed the establishment of an independent Trade Systems Regulatory Commission to oversee digital trade infrastructure and strengthen revenue mobilization.
The CSOs concluded by calling on Parliament, industry players, traders, the media, and civil society organizations to support efforts aimed at improving transparency, efficiency, and accountability within Ghana’s trade and port ecosystem.
They maintained that comprehensive reforms are necessary to protect national revenue, improve service delivery, and ensure that Ghana’s ports operate in the best interest of the country and its citizens.
