Tema, April 4, GNA - The General Manager; Corporate Planning, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), has underscored the need for the operational challenges facing the country's ports to be addressed to pave way for the regional hub status in West Africa. These challenges, Mr Wisdom Segbefia said, included infrastructure capacity constraints; inadequate funds for development; inadequate space for development; and the cumbersome cargo clearing procedures.

Speaking at a day's Continuing Professional Development programme organised by the Tema branch of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) for its members, Mr Segbefia said large volumes of uncleared cargo; congestion of trucks and lack of competition in the stevedoring business due to cargo allocation, were the other challenges faced by port authorities.

He urged government to inject the needed capital into the operations of the two major ports in the country, to provide the necessary infrastructure for development and expansion. Mr Segbefia whose topic was: 93Promoting Ghana Ports as a Regional Hub," pointed out that GPHA had the potential of developing the Tema Port into a regional container hub, and the Takoradi Port into a regional oil and gas services hub.

He was, therefore, of the view that if the numerous challenges facing the ports were addressed by the authorities, the facilities would be in a position to provide world class services. Speaking on: 93Current Developments in Ghana's Oil Fields," Mr Gayheart Edem Mensah, Communications Manager of Tullow Oil Ghana, suggested the re-location of people whose houses were sitting on the project lines at the Jubilee Field.

Mr Mensah said the Jubilee Project, a partnership among six oil companies, held prospects for the development of Ghana's infant Oil Industry.

Mr Adjei Sam, President of CILT-Tema, said the Institute would hold an excellence awards this year, to honour members, individuals and organisations whose contributions had impacted positively on the maritime industry.