Tema (Greater Accra) 16 Nov '98

The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) will strengthen its operations to make it one of the leading ports in the West African sub-region. Mr Kwaku Dua Boateng, acting director general of the GPHA, made this known when Mrs Vilma Espin De Castro, president of the Cuban Women's Federation and a member of the Cuban State Council, called at the Port prior to her departure home on Saturday. Mr Boateng said under an organisational reforms being pursued, the staff at the GPHA headquarters will be trimmed down while the Tema and Takoradi ports will be granted more autonomy. As part of the reforms, a new maritime administration will be established at the sector ministry - the Ministry of Road and Transport- to be responsible for implementation of government policies on maritime issues. The GPHA, which handles 75 per cent of all cargo at Ghana's two ports will now allow more private sector participation through joint ventures, he said, explaining that container handling has been identified as an area the private sector can increasingly participate. Mr Boateng said the GPHA has decided to further deepen the ports' two deepest berths to enable them to handle modern Container and Roro vessels at the same time to reduce queuing or shifting of vessels to shallower berths. The GPHA has plans to dredge quays one and two of the Tema port and extend them to accommodate two vessels. Mr Boateng said the dredging is expected to cost between 50 to 60 million dollars and the GPHA is looking for concessionary loans and grants through the Ministry of Finance. Mrs Castro, who toured the Tema port and fishing harbour, described the port as ''big, interesting and well organised'' and commended the port authorities for ''its plans to further improve facilities there''.