Boankra (Ash), July 31, GNA - Mr. Mike Hammah, the Minister of Roads and Transport, has said about 134 million dollars would be required to extend the Eastern, Central and Western railway lines to the Boankra Inland Port for smooth take off of the facility. The government would take four years to complete the different linkages to the port to serve neighbouring land locked countries to the north of Ghana.

Speaking to newsmen at Boankra after his inspection of the completed office complex of the Shippers' Council, he said 45 million dollars would be needed to complete the Western line, 55 million dollars for the Eastern line and an additional 34 million dollars on the Central line. The Minister was in the region to see problems facing the transport sector and to interact with workers of the railways. Touching on the 1.8 kilometre road linking the inland port with the Accra/Kumasi highway, the minister said efforts were being made to review the contract to ensure value for money.

He said part of a 02-million dollar loan contracted by the government would be used to address problems at Kaasi where any time it rained the place got flooded making it impossible for the trains to operate. He gave the assurance that the government would do all it could to revamp the railway sector and urged the workers to also play their part well. Mr. Kofi Opoku-Manu, the Ashanti Regional Minister, said railways play unique role in the socio-economic development of a nation and it is incumbent on all stakeholders to support the government to revamp the sector.