Customs and the Maritime and Port Institute of Angola have been ordered by the country's Finance Minister Pedro de Morais to find a solution to the worsening congestion at the port of Luanda.

The call came as 18,000 containers piled up, hindering port operations, the discharge of vessels, further aggravated by a shortage of back up land to store boxes as 300 containers arrive every day.

The backlog of containers was creating higher port costs for freight forwarders and shippers, raising stowage costs, according to a source from the Angolan National Customs Directorate cited by Angolan news agency, Angop.

Current legislation stipulates that freight is only permitted to remain at Angola's ports for 60 days with perishable goods having to be out within 13 days.