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Country Information > West Africa > Ghana Tema
Port Information [ Port Infrastructure ] [ Tema Container Terminal ] [ Port Security & ISPS ][ X Ray Scanner ] [ Port Statistics ] [ News ]
X Ray Scanner The Ministry of Trade and Industry has commissioned a new fixed x-ray scanner at the port of Tema, Ghana. The overall objective of this new modern process of examination of goods is, by providing a non-intrusive inspection, to control imports and to facilitate trade by checking the container and clearing the documents in the minimum time. To allow this:
The energy for the x-ray equipment is 5 million electron Volts (MeV), which although high is not dangerous to food items when scanned or workers/public on site. This scanner can penetrate up to 330mm of steel allowing checking the majority of containers even with high density goods inside. To ensure radiation safety, the walls surrounding the x-ray equipment are constructed of concrete up to 2.5 metres. The tunnel is sealed with 3 ton shielding doors. Personnel in sensitive areas wear personal dosimeters , which record the level of radiation received by each person, and there are also, fixed dosimeters posted in key areas. This enables monitoring of the radiation level in all areas of the site, ensuring that safety standards are strictly adhered to. The tunnel is designed to be of sufficient size to accept all road worthy trucks carrying any size of container. During the scanning sequence, the chain conveyor automatically pulls the truck at a constant speed of 24 metres per minute through the x-ray beam. The process starts with appointment booking, arrival of container and positioning of the truck in the tunnel. A 40-foot container takes one minute from the start of scanning sequence for images to be displayed on a screen. Well trained image analysts operate three image workstations with one auditor monitoring their operations from another workstation. Image analysts take a few minutes to work on a image and communicate their findings to the documentation office. If a discrepancy is suspected between what is seen on the image and the manifest information, the container will be directed to the recheck area for examination. The recheck office is fully equipped with a computer connected to the main network allowing the officer to analyse the image first hand. The checking platform is equipped to perform examination on two containers simultaneously. Movement of documents from one office to another within Scanco is done electronically - a paperless transaction. CRMS Value & Expected Action Green CEPS Random = Random Inspection or immediate release Therefore a percentage of imports will pass freely with only a random inspection in the Green Channel. The Yellow Channel permits some inspection and some scanning. The Red Channel permits physical examination only by either Customs (CEPS) or GSBV. The intention is that this process will ultimately reduce the amount of physical examination required and speed up the customs clearance process. Advantages will be less cargo handling, less port congestion and ultimately a reduction in cost to the Ghanaian consumer. Concerns over the new system are based on the ability of the unit
to cope with the required volumes (it can handle 1 x TEU every 10 minutes)
and the reliability of the sophisticated technology in such a demanding
operating environment. With effect from May 1st, 2004, all homogeneous full container loads of food, drugs, and chemicals, including agro-chemicals which constitute the bulk of high risk goods will be scanned at the Tema port. However, samples of the goods would be collected after scanning from the premises of importers for testing and verification by the Ghana Standards Boards as to whether they conform to specifications and standards, Mr. Alan Kyeremanten, Minister for Trade, Industry and President Special Initiative (PSI) announced yesterday at Tema. He was commissioning a 3.2-million-dollar fixed gamma-ray container cargo-scanning machine at the eastern gate of the Tema port. The scanner, the second at the Tema port is to enhance trade facilitation to ensure that bottlenecks in the clearing and forwarding of goods at the port were reduced to the barest minimum and also speed up clearance of goods. Nick TC-Scan Limited, a private company with Ghanaian and Chinese partners, installed it. The three new inspection companies that were formed in January 2003 to operate alongside Gateway Inspection Company jointly operate the scanner. These companies are: 1. Inspection and Control Services 2. Ghanalink Ltd 3. Bivac Ltd The Gateway Services Limited (GSL) and Scanning Company (SCANCO) installed the first scanning machine in 1998. The scanning machines had phased out the Pre-shipment Inspection Scheme as well as the physical examination of goods, which delayed clearing procedure of cargo from the port. Mr. Kyeremanten said it has become necessary to reduce the number of consignments subjected to physical examination at customs from an average of 60% in 2002 to an average of 10% for statutory free goods and 100% for dutiable goods by the end of 2004. This is to reduce the dwell-time of containers and the turn-around time of ships. In this regard, the mandatory physical inspection of all high-risk goods, which constitute about 60% of total annual imports of Ghana, has been reviewed, he stated. The Ministry, he said, is contemplating holding discussions with stakeholders on the possibility of scanning some export goods at the Tema port and the Kotoka International Airport to improve the overall security at the port and minimize illegal shipments. For port statistics please click here. Vessel calls to the Port of Tema have registered a steady increase. Ship turnround time has been improving over the years except for 1999. The increase in days was due to the dregging work that was undertaken in the year 1999. The fast turnround time is a good means of savings in terms of time and cost to customers. Owing to the smooth accessibility of the port of Tema, its excellent connections by road and inland waterways, its friendly and efficient workforce, Tema Port has become an ideal port for the handling of transit cargo for the landlocked countries of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. The transit traffic has grown from a low level of 8,448 tonnes in 1997 to 261,251 tonnes in 2001. The increase in transit cargo has been due to the realization that transit customers have of the advantages Tema Port has over competing ports in the sub-region. The decisive factors in the choice among others include the following
News Infrastructure development to support growth - 15/07/08 US$24.7m Loan Approved for Nsawam-Apedwa Road - March 2004 A 24.7 million US dollar loan agreement between Ghana and the African Development Fund (ADF) for the financing of the Nsawam-Apedwa road project has been approved. The project would involve carrying out work on the 41-kilometre Nsawam-Apedwa road and the construction of a new 10-kilometre bypass to the West of Nsawam Central Business District. The Chairman of the Finance Committee, Mr Eugene Atta Agyepong said the road when finished would enhance national economic activities, movement of goods and people to markets, and facilitate regional trade and economic integration. Germany Provides US$13m For Accra-Kumasi Road - March 2004 A grant of 13 million U.S dollars that was promised to the government of Ghana by the Federal Republic of Germany, as its contribution toward the cost of rebuilding the Accra-Kumasi road, is now ready to be issued according to reports. The promise of the grant was made in response to an appeal by President John Agyekum Kufuor during his state visit to Germany in 2002. Mr. Linder gave the assurance that the German government would continue to co-operate with Ghana in the areas of attracting investment in agro-processing industry, boosting small-and medium-scale enterprises and promoting good governance. Construction company, appointed at the port
of Tema - 30/01/04 Tema buys three new Reach Stackers - Januray 2004 Ghana - Stevedoring to be Privatised The Harbour Master will now be in charge of the allocation of berths (formerly handled by the GPHA's Operations Manager). Quay 2 Extension Project - Tema Tema Development Projects - Port Dredging To position the port of Tema to meet the increasing challenges and to attain the position of Gateway to West Africa, a number of expansion and modernisation projects have been embarked on. The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) and the Dutch Government have recently funded a $10.2-million project to dredge two berths at the Tema Harbour. More than a third of the funding ($3.6m) comes from the Dutch government, whilst the authority would also pay the remaining $6.6 million. The dredging, being undertaken by a Dutch firm, Boskalis International Bv, has been completed. Due to the dredging, port congestion and vessels waiting time has been drastically reduced. The access channel is now 12.5m, whilst the inside area has been deepened to 11.5 meters. Dredging of further berths to a maximum depth of 10 metres is scheduled to commence in October 2002. Tema Development Projects - Quay Extension Plans have been made to extend Quay 2 by 200m, giving it a total length of 570m. Quay 2 consists of the two deepest berths of 11.5m each. Tema Development Projects - Private Sector Partnership A further boost has been given to the port by increasing private sector participation in theh port's cargo handling operations since July 2001. The aim is to further reduce the total cost of doing business through the port. An international consortium made up of seven major players in the international shipping industry is to take over the management of Tema and Takoradi ports. The group also plans to invest $200 million in developing them. The consortium known as the 'Ghana Ports Service Consortium' (GPSC) will be awarded a concession to manage the ports with the Ghanaian government acting as landlords. The plan to privatise the ports is aimed at increasing traffic through the ports headed for land-locked countries in West Africa and is part of the on-going 'Ghana Gateway Project'. The project involves the extension and development of Quay Two into a modern container terminal. While the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority (GPHA) will construct the first phase of the project, the Consortium will engage in further developments and management of the facility. The Consortium consists of AP Moeller Terminals, Bathgate Management Limited, Beckett Rankine Partnership, Bouygues Travaux Publics, Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, SDV Ghana Limited (Bolloré Group) and the Sutton Group. Tema Port Handled Increased Cargo - March 2003 Transit cargo passing through the Tema Port increased to 627,773 tonnes in 2002 compared 261,254 tonnes in 2001according to Mr Gorden Anim, the Port Director. He attributed the increase to the political turmoil in Cote d'Ivoire that had made the Abidjan port unsafe for port users thus forcing the landlocked countries of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to divert their cargo through Tema. For the last quarter of 2002, which was October to December, the Port handled 255,080 tonnes of transit cargo. Cargo that passed through the Tema Port included rice; sugar; flour and containerised cargo. Containerised cargo was 32 per cent, flour 13.5 per cent and steel/plates for constructional works was two per cent. Mr Anim said that in 2000 the tonnage of transit cargo was 144,973 tonnes. Consortium to run Ghana ports - November 2002 An international consortium made up of seven major players in the international shipping industry is to take over the management of Tema and Takoradi ports. The group also plans to invest $200 million in developing them. The consortium known as the 'Ghana Ports Service Consortium' (GPSC) will be awarded a concession to manage the ports with the Ghanaian government acting as landlords. The plan to privatise the ports is aimed at increasing traffic through the ports headed for land-locked countries in West Africa and is part of the on-going 'Ghana Gateway Project'. The project involves the extension and development of Quay Two into a modern container terminal. While the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority (GPHA) will construct the first phase of the project, the Consortium will engage in further developments and management of the facility. The Consortium consists of AP Moeller Terminals, Bathgate Management Limited, Beckett Rankine Partnership, Bouygues Travaux Publics, Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, SDV Ghana Limited (Bolloré Group) and the Sutton Group. |
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