Tema, Jan. 8, GNA- The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has embarked on a container terminal extension projects at the Tema Ports, which would be completed by 2005 to help decongest the ports, which is currently over congested.

So far 40 million dollars has been spent on the project, while another 15 million dollars has gone into the purchasing of three ship-to-shore container cranes to be attached to the port to help in its operations.

The terminal project involves the extension of land area 200 meters into the sea to create additional operational area that would allow deeper daft (waters) for bigger vessels, Mr Ben Owusu-Mensah, Director General of the GPHA disclosed this on Thursday in Tema.

Mr. Owusu-Mensah made the disclosure when he conducted Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Ports, Harbours and Railways and his Deputy, Mr Gesika Agambilla, round the ports to give him first hand information about the situation at place.

The tour afforded the Minister and his entourage, including Commissioner of CEPS, Brigadier William Richardson Baiden, the Chief Executive Officer of Cocoa Marketing Board (CMB), Mr Kwame Sarpong and other dignitaries the opportunity to examine the congestion situation and other operational difficulties at the port.

The entourage inspected the four cocoa sheds being managed by CMB, which would be relocated to new places at the same Tema Port as part of the decongesting exercise, the container depot yard, the scanning area and the transit yard.

Mr Owusu-Mensah said the port was experiencing the present congestion situation because it had been serving other purposes than it was originally designed.

He said the new container terminal would therefore, allowed the transfer of imported vehicles, cargoes and other goods to be moved from the area closer to the sea and make it easier for "customers to transact their businesses freely without any sweat.

"Very soon the port would become one of the best in the sub-region."

The Director-General also announced that the Tema-Accra railway lines which joins the Kumasi line and had been lying fallow for so many years was soon to be rehabilitated with an OPEC fund of 5.5 million dollar-loan by the Ghana Railways Authority.

Prof. Ameyaw-Akumfi expressed regret about the congestion situation and how business transactions were delayed at the port, but praised the GPHA for funding their own developmental projects.

He called on all parties who, transacts businesses at the port to join co-operate to help put the place in order and also asked the security agencies to be vigilant in their operations.

Some customers and dealers whom the GNA interviewed at the Port complained of poor services and high revenue charges by the GPHA, which has been increased by 50 per cent this year and the fact that they had to join long queues in the sun to pay their revenues.