The Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, together with key players in the port and trade sector, have paid a working visit to the Management of GPHA to familiarize themselves with developments in the organization.

Sampson Asaki, the Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association, expressed his outfit’s keen interest in the issues affecting the port industry and asked to be involved in dialogues towards policy formulations.

"We have a very robust union association so far as trade is concerned in the country. Now that we are having the biggest port, stakeholders’ engagements are very paramount. We are prepared to support Ghana and also the Port,” he suggested.

He expressed excitement of the newly launched MPS Terminal 3, believing it would facilitate trade and asked the Port Authority to play its essential role to harness opportunities thereof.

John Mantey, Executive Member of the Technical Committee of the Ghana Institute of Freight forwarders, touching on the Port Development Infrastructure fund, which is an account created by GPHA, for all participating stakeholders in the port sector to contribute into to create sufficient funds for Ghana to be able to build port infrastructure in the future, asked for more transparency from GPHA in order to feel more involved in its advancement.

"If the PDIF report is ready, we would like to have it, because we strongly believe that is the way to go, so that the proper structure is set up in terms so we can contribute ably to the fund,” he expressed.

Kwaku Okyere Darko, also a Technical Committee member of GIFF, encouraged heads of GPHA to continue in their usual engagement with the industry players at all levels.

The DG of GPHA, Michael Luguje, embraced the call to be part of all engaging forums that will promote the development of the industry.

He also, explained why he believes the new MPS terminal 3, which was designed to not only serve the local market but also to be a hub for transshipment services across the region, is timely and better placed for business than competing neighboring countries.

“One of the attractions we are going to have with terminal 3 is that, because of the Ghana economy has a good local market capacity. Terminal 3 will be more attractive than Lomé MSC terminal because Togo’s economy doesn’t generate the kind of volumes that we generate here. So anybody who is choosing a hub would look at where the local economy can generate more volumes,” he opined.

On the Port Development Infrastructure fund, the Director General, lauded the initiative of the past Director General, Paul Asare Ansah for bringing it into being and emphasized that the current GPHA administration would ensure its continuation.

“The PIDF of course is a commendable idea and that credit certainly goes to Paul Asare Ansah because even when he was in charge of marketing he kept talking about it. So fortunately, when he became DG he had to make sure it started and this has to continue,” the DG of GPHA noted.