The Meridian Port Service (MPS) signed a deal with the Ghana government under former President John Mahama's led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government through the Ghana Ports and Harbors Authority (GPHA) in 2015.

The deal was expected to help expand the Tema port to an unprecedented and enviable status in the history of the port industry in the Sub-Saharan Africa, but checks from the contract has proven that the contract is packed with terms with the tendency to rip off Ghana of some very huge revenue, destroy jobs already created and yet to be created, scare away of potential investors, and also rob a lot of citizens of Ghana of their current jobs at the port.

Statistics has it that the contract which is expected to last for about thirty-five (35) years is going to deprive Ghana and Ghanaians through the Tema Port of revenue of around 2 billion dollars over the entire span (32 years) of management of the port by the MPS limited which makes it around a 70 million dollars yearly loss to the nation aside an additional tax waiver of around 800 million dollars which has been granted MPS. More over, the contract is likely to cause the loss of the jobs of over three thousand (3,000) workers of the Tema port, Inland Container Depots, Terminals Operators, Stevedoring Companies, Shorehandling companies and other private companies working in the Tema port, and also the possible collapse of all such companies.

This 35-year Tema port expansion Public Private Partnership (PPP) contract signed between MPS and the former President Mahama led NDC government is a Build Operate Transfer (BOT) project which was kicked started in 2015 after it was signed in same year, of which operation and management by MPS is supposed to start from June 2019 for a span of 35 years.

It is alleged that the deal which was to have the interest of all parties; Ghana government, MPS, Bolloré Africa Logistics and APM Terminals, equally satisfied, turned bad after former President Mahama, Elder Ofosu Ampofo; the former Board chairman of GPHA and Mr. Anamoo; the former Director General of GPHA shortchanged the destiny of Ghana and Ghanaians for their pockets by signing a very bad deal which gives MPS the monopolistic rights with respect to all the activities at the Tema Port.

Since the negative effects of the MPS deal are so scary, and totally outweigh the positives to the nation, it will be great and proper for this new government under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo led New Patriotic Party (NPP) to get the entire deal renegotiated for the betterment of the country and its citizens, and all the other parties involved.

Hhhmm, may God be praised always

Nana Kwadwo Akwaa

(Kingsleyakwaa@yahoo.com)

Member, Critical Thinkers International (CTI)