In a move to help avert a fresh increase in cement prices, an additional berth has been secured at the Tema Port to help clear a growing backlog of clinker vessels and halt the escalating demurrage costs threatening cement manufacturers.
The temporary berth is part of a package of emergency measures agreed upon following an urgent meeting involving the ministers of Transport and Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and cement manufacturers on Friday (September 11, 2026).
The intervention comes amid a worsening clinker congestion crisis, with cement manufacturers facing demurrage bills running into millions of dollars and threatening to pass the additional costs on to consumers.
The Chamber of Cement Manufacturers, Ghana (COCMAG), has already announced a temporary GH¢12 per-bag clinker demurrage surcharge, comprising GH¢10 before tax and GH¢2 in applicable taxes and levies.
Related article: CUTS raises competition concerns over cement manufacturers association uniform GH¢12 surcharge
The cement manufacturers had complained that vessel waiting times at the Tema Port had risen from an average of seven days in January 2026 to between 30 and more than 40 days in August 2026, pushing estimated industry-wide demurrage costs to between US$45 million and US$50 million in the first eight months of the year.
Tour
“We are here to see firsthand what we can all do together to ensure that the cement manufacturers are able to clear their clinker timeously to avoid demurrage and then further increases in prices.” - Ofosu-Adjare
Speaking to journalists in Tema on Friday September 11, 2026 after a tour of Tema Port, the Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, said the government could not allow the situation to continue and urged manufacturers to resist using the congestion as a justification for further price increases.
“We are here to see firsthand what we can all do together to ensure that the cement manufacturers are able to clear their clinker timeously to avoid demurrage and then further increases in prices,” she said.
She said the government’s immediate objective was to clear the backlog and put measures in place to prevent a recurrence.
The Minister of Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, said the recently completed dredging of the Tema Port would provide a major part of the long-term solution by allowing larger vessels to berth.
Mr Nikpe said the recently completed dredging of the Tema Port would enable larger vessels carrying clinker to berth, reducing the number of vessels waiting at anchorage and helping to cut demurrage.
“The dredging is finished as we talk now. The only thing is to notify all the shipping lines in the world through the shipping industry that we now have a draft that can take bigger vessels,” he said.
The Minister further urged cement manufacturers to consider consolidating their clinker imports into larger vessels to reduce the number of vessels waiting offshore.
He said the government would also engage the manufacturers on measures to improve the turnaround time for evacuating clinker from the port to their warehouses and production facilities.
Mr Nikpe said although the pressure on the port was high due to increased volumes, the government was determined to address the challenges and ensure that the port remained efficient.
The Director-General of the GPHA, Major General Paul Seidu Tanye-Kulono, said the authority had agreed on immediate measures with the ministries and the GRA to accelerate cargo clearance.
He said longer-term measures would include improving port efficiency, acquiring mobile equipment and exploring ways to open up additional port capacity.
He expressed confidence that the measures would help clear the backlog before the peak season ends in October.
Writer's email
