Minister commends Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority for massive infrastructure development
The Minister of Transport, Mr Fifi Kwetey, has commended the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) for the massive infrastructure development being undertaken at the two ports in Tema and Takoradi.
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Mr Kwetey, who visited the Tema Port to familiarise himself with operations of the GPHA, an agency under the Ministry of Transport, expressed delight at the completion of work on a new refrigerated container yard, a transit cargo yard and the bulk handling jetty with the capacity to hold up to four container vessels at a time.
He visited the newly constructed refrigerated yard (Reefer Yard) which has become operational, the new jetty, the PSC Shipyard and the newly built Amaris Export Terminal.
He also applauded the management of the GPHA for leveraging its operations, using the company’s own balance sheet as a catalyst to help finance ongoing development projects at the two ports.
He said the high efficiency operational measures put in place by the management had made the two ports to compete strongly with rival ports in the West African sub-region.
Director General
The Director General of the GPHA, Mr Richard Anamoo, who took the minister and his team round the port, announced that a new central data processing unit to serve as a one-stop shop for all payments to the port authority had become operational.
According to him, hitherto importers and port users had to move from various revenue points at the port to make payment for rent charges, handling charges, property rate and tolls.
He also told the minister that the GPHA and its partners had met with the Parliamentary Select committees on Transport, Finance, Roads and Trade and Enterprise to brief them on the status of the Tema Port expansion project.
He said the management of the GPHA was also engaging the Tema and the Nungua Traditional councils, the custodians of the land on which the Tema Port is situated.
He said work on the new $28-million maritime hospital was near completion, saying: “We hope the facility can become operational by September this year.”
The facility includes a 12,000 KVA power plant to produce oxygen for internal use and for sale to other health facilities in the country.
He said a helipad had also been provided at the facility for the purpose of flying emergency cases in and out.
Mr Anamoo assured the minister that the authority would maintain a high level of efficiency in its operations in order to become the leading maritime and transport organisation in Africa.
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