The effort to improve Terminal operations, transit trade and stakeholder coordination within the Western Region dominated discussions at the first Western Zonal Stakeholder Committee meeting of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA / Authority) for the year.
The meeting, which was held on Thursday, 23rd April 2026 under the chairmanship of the Western Zonal Manager of the Authority, Mrs. Agnes Asamoah Duku, brought together representatives of key stakeholder institutions across the region, including the Metropolitan Chief Executive of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, Lawyer Frederick Faidoo.
A major highlight of the meeting was a presentation by the Operations Manager of Atlantic Terminal Services Limited (ATSL), Mr. Richmond Appiah, who updated stakeholders on developments at the Terminal and measures being implemented to strengthen their operations.
Mr. Appiah informed the meeting that ATSL had acquired additional operational equipment, including two mobile harbour cranes, two Konecranes Reach Stackers, two Konecranes Empty Handlers, one Ram Spreader and six Terminal tractors to improve Terminal efficiency and service delivery.
He further disclosed that efforts were underway to procure additional equipment, including Forklifts, Trailers, Mobile Harbour Cranes, Terminal Tractors, Rubber Tyred Gantry cranes and Ship-to-Shore cranes to support growing operational demands at the Terminal. He added that the company had engaged six operator- trainees to build local capacity for Terminal operations.
Mr. Appiah further informed stakeholders that the Terminal had successfully berthed a 300 metric tonne transshipment vessel, MV San Francisco, as well as a 110 metric tonne general cargo vessel recently.
In her opening remarks, Mrs. Agnes Asamoah Duku commended stakeholders for their continued commitment towards facilitating shipping and trade activities within the region. She stressed the importance of collaboration among stakeholders in addressing challenges within the industry and promoting national development.
“Strong collaboration among stakeholders remains critical to improving trade facilitation and supporting growth within the shipping and logistics sector,” she said.
She explained that ATSL had been invited to the meeting as a follow up to concerns raised during the previous engagement regarding the availability of requisite equipment and operational efficiency at their Terminal.
The meeting also discussed a draft Standard Operating Procedure SOP) developed by a stakeholder task force to address truck breakdowns along the transit corridor.The initiative followed concerns raised at an earlier meeting about the increasing incidence of truck breakdowns, which stakeholders noted continued to pose risks to the public and disrupt transit trade activities along the corridor.
Mrs. Asamoah Duku informed the meeting that the task force, made up of representatives of institutions involved in transit trade, had been successfully inaugurated and had prepared a draft SOP to guide coordinated action in response to such incidents.
She noted that the Ghana Shippers’ Authority would serve as the lead State Agency in the coordination of the activities of the task force.
The stakeholders also discussed the recent breakdown of a transit truck at Nkroful Junction and appealed to the Metropolitan Chief Executive of Sekondi-Takoradi to support temporary repair works on the affected stretch of road.
Other matters discussed included updates from the Ghana Highway Authority on progress made in the provision of road signs and landmarks in line with the Government’s 24-Hour economy policy, the challenges confronting the full implementation of the Transport Loading Advice system by the Joint Association of Port Transport Unions (JAPTU) and the measures being explored to address them.
Mrs. Asamoah Duku commended members of the committee for their active participation and valuable contributions to the discussions and urged them to sustain the collaborative effort towards improving trade facilitation within the region.
