Kufuor inaugurates 15.5 million-dollar Port Terminal

Tema, March 29, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Thursday
inaugurated a new 15.5 million dollar container terminal built to help
significantly reduce congestion at the Tema Port.
It has facilities for a Container Freight Station (CFS) covering
a total space of 7,200 square meters, a state warehouse of 2,100
square meters for storage of uncleared cargo and a paved area of
93,000 square meters.
Started in 2004 and christened; "Golden Jubilee Terminal," it has
been designed to help improve the turn-around time of container
vessels and free more space for the handling of general cargo.
The new facility adds to the number of capacity improvement
projects undertaken within the last six years to develop the nation's
maritime industry to become the maritime fulcrum and the shipping
gateway to the ECOWAS sub-region.
President Kufuor announced that a feasibility study for
construction of yet another new terminal would soon commence in
anticipation of the continued growth in the volume of trade.
"For now, a number of state-of-the-art equipment has been
acquired and institutional reforms on-going to enhance the quality of
service delivery within the port and the maritime industry in
general."
President Kufuor expressed the Government's determination to push
ahead with the implementation of policies that would increase private
sector participation in port operations.
The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority has already begun a
gradual ceding of more port operations to private companies,
something, he noted, would create space for competition, efficiency
and innovation.
President Kufuor said the name given to the new terminal should
be an all time reminder of the increasing role that the nation's ports
in particular and the maritime industry in general were expected to
play in promoting economic and national development during the next 50
years.
Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Harbours and
Railways, said the new facilities at the port were meant to turn it
into a maritime hub to contribute to the nation's progress.
He said already measures had been put in place to improve
security and safety within the port area as well as institutional
reforms to minimize bureaucratic bottlenecks.
Mr. Ben Owusu-Mensah, Director-General of GPHA, said apart from
the Landlord Port Bill, which was still under consideration by the
appropriate authorities, the GHPA has now completed all the Strategic
Action Plans it was required to undertake under the Gateway Programme.
Under the programme, the Authority was required to transform into
a Landlord Port Authority, re-organize itself into a downsized
Headquarters with greater authority to the ports, to develop
de-vanning area outside Tema Port and to increase private sector
participation in port operations.
Additionally it was to establish electronic data interchange for
the maritime community and to improve container handling productivity
in the ports.
29 March 07