Importers and freight forwarders at the Tema Port are urging the Ghana Shippers Authority to ensure that shipping lines do not impose additional charges for demurrages due to delays caused by the recent internet disruption in the country.

The widespread internet disruption has adversely affected the clearance of cargo at Ghana's largest seaport, resulting in demurrages.

Paulina Abrokwah, co-chairperson of the Technical Committee of the Tema District of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF), highlighted the significant impact on the cost of doing business at the port.

"We're hoping that with the situation at least some of the service providers like the shipping lines and terminals will be considerate and waive the extra cost related to any delay that will occur.

"We are hoping that the Ghana Shippers Authority will take the lead in this and ensure that traders or importers don't have to suffer to pay demorages as a result of this general internet outage," she explained.

According to JoyNews, she anticipates the intervention of the Ghana Shippers Authority to prevent shipping lines from exploiting the situation to impose additional charges for the delays caused by the internet disruption.

"One area that area that was really bad was the banks. They were unable to pay duty, at least, as of Friday. Once you're not able to pay, you cannot continue with the rest of the processes," she said.

The National Communication Authority (NCA) has estimated that it could take at least five weeks to restore the faulty undersea cables and stabilize connections in the affected countries.

In response, the Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, Samson Azaki Awingobit, has called on the Economic Management Team (EMT) to promptly devise a Plan B to prevent importers from facing hardships.