A Fish processing and storage facility would soon be established at the Takoradi Port to enhance the fishing industry in the country.

Already, management of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authorities (GPHA) is considering applications of some prospective investors. Paul Asare Ansah, Marketing and Customer Service Managing of the Takoradi Port disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Takoradi.

He said the solicitors for the stool land and Essikado and GPHA are in the final stages of formalising the lease agreement on a parcel of land to be developed for the purpose. He said negotiations would begin next month with the Ghana Railway Company Limited to acquire a 7.4 hectare plot of land inside the Takoradi Port and another behind the Head office of the Takoradi GPHA to be developed for storage facility.

Additionally, management is looking for land outside the Port to be developed as back-up storage centre. Ansah stressed that dredging of the port was completed early this year, thus Buoys I and III have been dredged from 10.4 metres to 11 metres while the berths now have a maximum draft of 10.4 metres from the previous 9.5 metres.

He noted that with introduction of 20 per cent rebates on port dues, 10 per cent on stevedoring charges and 10 per cent on pilotage, towage and mooring by the port, GPHA handled 19,245 tonnes of general cargo between October and December last year. Ansah said initially, shippers and ship owners and stevedoring companies were not happy with the rebate but their responses have improved.