Tema, May 22, GNA- The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) in a bid to ensuring that its staff communicated freely with French nationals in trade links has incorporated French language into its daily activities.

Mr Ben Owusu-Mensah, Director General of the GPHA who announced this on Friday at Tema said as major stakeholders in the maritime industry, which has links with French landlocked countries, there was the need for the workers to have command over the language. He was addressing French students of 20 public and private institutions at an outreach programme, which was sponsored jointly by the GPHA and the French Embassy.

Mr Owusu-Mensah said the programme would bring benefits to the gateway programme where francophone neighbours in transit in the country would always feel at home as they meet Ghanaians. He advised other stakeholders in the maritime industry to embrace the programme which would add value and meaning to economic integration policy, especially the Golden age of Business. He said the GPHA has endorsed the idea of a six-week language proficiency programme abroad. He commended the French Embassy for its support in the programme. Mr Jean-Michel Berrit, French Ambassador to Ghana said about 20 years ago the French Embassy created a special programme to support the teaching of French and started with a few institutions who have benefited from the programme. He said the language should no longer be a barrier to Ghanaian scientists to be creative and to share their experiences with the francophone colleagues while entrepreneurs and administrators must take advantage to deploy marketing strategies and do proper business.

The Ambassador said the language is not only synonymous with culture, literature and arts but also a powerful medium that enables its speakers to access scientific, technological and technical knowledge. To date, he said, four French language centres have been opened at the Military Academy/Training School, Regional Maritime Academy, GPHA and the Volta River Authority (VRA). The participants were drawn from institutions including the VRA, University of Ghana, Regional Maritime Academy and the Police Service.