The Port of Tema recorded 24.76 per cent increment in total container traffic in spite of the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the general economy worldwide and Ghana as a country in 2020.

Mrs. Nana Esi Soderberg, Deputy General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) said in 2020, the Port of Tema recorded a total of 1,248,726 container traffic, adding that the figure showed a variance of 247,800 representing 24. 76 per cent increase over the 1,000,926 recorded in 2019.

Mrs Soderberg revealed during the third: “End of Month Stakeholder Engagement and Workers Appreciation Day,” seminar organized by the Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office which is a platform rolled-out for state and non-state actors to address national issues.

The event also served as a motivational mechanism to recognize the editorial contribution of reporters towards national development in general and growth and promotion of the Tema GNA as the industrial news hub.

She said Tema Port also documented 9.20 per cent increment in cargo traffic as the port saw 18,909,586 cargo traffic in 2020 compared to the 17,316,276 seen in 2019.

Mrs Soderberg disclosed that an increase of 17.30 per cent in vessel traffic was also recorded by the Port in 2020 which saw 1,451 vessels passing through over the 1,237 in 2019.

She however noted that the Takoradi Port on the other hand recorded some decreases in the various types of traffic attributing it to the oil services sector worldwide hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Takoradi Port unlike its sister Port of Tema recorded 28.00 per cent decrease in its total cargo traffic for 2020 which showed that 7,476,337 cargoes passed through the port indicating that it lost a total of 2,907,730 cargo compared to the 10,384,067 it saw in 2019.

The Deputy Manager Marketing and Corporate Affairs of the GPHA told the GNA that a similar trend was observed for container traffic at Takoradi Port for the year 2020 as 38,357 containers were handled compared to 2019’s 47,451.

This showed a difference of 9,094 representing 19.17 decrease in Takoradi Port’s container traffic for 2020.

The story was not different in its total vessel traffic for the year as a 17.28 decrement in vessels were recorded translating into 450 in 2020 compared to the 544 seen in 2019 showing a variance of minus 94.

The third GNA-Tema Stakeholder Engagement and Workers Appreciation Day seminar, was attended by the National Commission for Civic Education, Association of Oil Marketing Companies, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, and the Tema Regional Police Command.