The Takoradi Harbour is to undergo a major expansion at an estimated cost of $250 million.

The project, designed to significantly enhance the overall operational capacity of the port, is expected to be completed by 2010.

It will involve land reclamation, construction of two container and three multipurpose berths of 300 metres long and 12 metres deep.

The expansion will also allow for deeper clinker and bauxite berths, breakwater extension, new entrance channel and two touring basins.

Mr Paul Asare, Marketing and Customer Service Manager of the Takoradi Port, made this known during a familiarisation tour of the port by the Tema Press on Friday.

The port, which was built in 1924, currently has berth facilities of a maximum draft of 9.5 metres. It handles more than 68 per cent of the total national export and 19 per cent of imports annually. The exports are mainly manganese, bauxite, forest products and cocoa beans while the imports include clinker, wheat, petroleum products and containerised cargo.

The marketing manager explained that although the port is small, compared to others in the sub-region, it has a number of comparative advantages which will facilitate its transformation into an efficient one-stop port service centre in West Africa, especially for transit cargo.

For instance, he said, apart from having achieved a quick turnaround time of 1.6 days on the average for general cargo container and RoRo vessels, the port also offers very competitive tariff rates and a longer rent free period of 30 days.

He said the port has adequate open and coverage storage facilities while the private sector is being encouraged to rehabilitate its warehouses within the port area. He mentioned efforts to remove a $200 transit fee per truck on export through the port.