By Kadijatu Bangura, D.S
FREETOWN — The Director General of the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority (SLPHA), Yankuba Askia Bio, has debunked allegations of midnight cargo clearance at the Port of Freetown and announced plans to introduce a single-window system for cargo clearance in March 2027.
Bio made the clarification during a media engagement with port stakeholders at the Queen Elizabeth II Quay on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, where he addressed port operations, cargo decongestion and the Authority’s mandate under the landlord port model.
He said coordinated interventions by SLPHA, the National Revenue Authority’s Customs and Excise Department, Freetown Terminal Limited (FTL), Nectar Sierra Leone Bulk Terminal (NSBT) and other stakeholders in the clearance chain had significantly reduced congestion, leading to the removal of Freetown Port from the list of congested ports in Africa.
He urged importers and cargo owners with consignments awaiting clearance to take advantage of the available space to collect their goods.
Bio disclosed that the single-window system, expected to commence in March 2027, will allow users to complete a significant part of the clearance process electronically, reducing the need to move physically between offices. He said the initiative is part of SLPHA’s broader drive to modernise operations, improve efficiency and advance digitalisation in the maritime sector.
The SLPHA boss explained that the Authority previously operated as a service port undertaking many operational functions, but now operates under the landlord model, focusing on regulation, supervision, infrastructure, oversight, safety and security compliance, and creating an enabling environment for concessionaires.
He stressed that SLPHA does not directly undertake clearing and forwarding at the Port. Under existing concessions, NSBT handles bulk and break-bulk cargo, while FTL manages containerised cargo and part of break-bulk. The NRA Customs and Excise Department collects revenue on imported goods, Integrated Trade Services (ITS) handles container scanning, Logistics Solution Services (LSS) provides cargo tracking, while haulage is done by the Indigenous Transport Owners Association and private investors.
Bio rejected an online publication alleging that he regularly visited the port at midnight between 2022 and 2025, halted operations and facilitated cargo clearance outside established procedures with military personnel.
He described the allegation as untrue, stating that he became Director General in October 2023 and was therefore not in that position in 2022, and that 24-hour operations at the Port only commenced in 2026.
Deputy Commissioner Kpana Conteh of NRA Customs and Excise and ITS General Manager John Brima backed Bio’s position, stressing that cargo clearance follows established procedures which no individual, including the Director General, can bypass. Brima said the claim did not reflect actual port operations.
Stakeholders reaffirmed the Port’s zero-tolerance position on illegal drugs and maritime crimes. Brima explained that suspicious cargo identified through checks and due diligence is referred to security and law-enforcement institutions for further investigation within their mandates. Bio added that port operators do not have the legal authority to make pronouncements on intercepted suspicious goods.
Bio urged journalists to exercise diligence and verify facts, dates and official records, and seek clarification from relevant institutions before publishing reports on port operations and matters of national economic importance.
Captain Fabjanko Kokan of AGL also called for professional and balanced reporting, warning that inaccurate publications affect the reputation of SLPHA officials and international and multinational companies operating in the port community.
The engagement ended with a renewed call for stronger cooperation between the media and port community, with Bio reaffirming SLPHA’s commitment to transparency, improved service delivery and continued engagement through its Media and Public Relations Unit under the Company Secretary’s Department.
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