The Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) has called on government to address prolonged delays in airport cargo clearance in Ghana, warning that the bottlenecks are affecting airline operations and weakening the country’s logistics competitiveness.
GIFF President Stephen Adjokatcher said businesses sometimes wait several days to clear essential equipment and aircraft spare parts, despite the availability of Customs facilities intended to speed up the process.
He raised the concern during the unveiling of Africa World Airlines’ new Embraer E190 aircraft, which is expected to support the airline’s expansion and improve regional connectivity.
Clearance Delays Threaten Aviation Efficiency
Mr Adjokatcher questioned why airport cargo clearance remains slow when government is pursuing a 24-hour economy agenda intended to improve productivity.
“We don’t understand why there’s a centre brought here by Customs so that aviation is speed, but sometimes people take days before they clear things from the airport here.” - Mr Adjokatcher
The GIFF President noted that delays involving aircraft components are particularly concerning because airlines depend on timely access to spare parts to maintain their operations.
He appealed to the Ministry of Transport to engage the Ministry of Finance and relevant regulatory agencies to resolve the problem.
GIFF Calls for Airport Storage Facilities
Beyond faster clearance, Mr Adjokatcher wants dedicated storage facilities at Ghana’s airports where airlines can keep essential spare parts for immediate use.
He argued that such arrangements would reduce avoidable delays when aircraft require maintenance or replacement components.
“[We need] storage facilities at our airports so that airlines can hold the spare parts there so that they can clear on time when they need it immediately,” he said.
For the freight forwarding industry, the concern extends beyond aviation. Delays in cargo clearance increase operational uncertainty for businesses and weaken Ghana’s ability to compete as a regional transport and logistics hub.
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