Ghana’s deputy Minister for Roads and Transport, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has said that government has pledged its commitment to maintain the national identity of the national career, Ghana Airways.
He said to preserve national pride, the government was not going to cede off 100 percent of its shares either to a specific investor or by public flotation.
Mr. Agyeman-Manu said government was only considering a joint venture with interested parties and ensuring proposals which would be best for the airline, its employers, the state and stake-holders and that those measures would soon be announced.
Mr. Agyeman-Manu made these remarks at a symposium organised by the league of Aviation Journalists and sponsored by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
Themed: "Trends in Civil Aviation and Airline Operations-State Ownership and privatisation, which way Forward," the symposium was attended by government officials, stakeholders in the aviation industry and journalists. Mr. Agyeman-Manu enumerated some of the causes of the distressed state of the national career as over-staffing, no clear and explicit development strategies and poor quality of service.
Just as most governments had ensured the survival of their national careers, the Ghana Government would also ensure that Ghana Airways bounced back.
Acting Director General of the GCAA, Captain Joe Boachie noted that since the industry had the tendency to accelerate the growth in commerce and trade in the country, a strategic and analytical plan was needed to ensure that it thrived.
The intended venture would help expand and develop the landsite facilities at the airport and provide round the clock services to customers. It would also enhance the competitiveness of the GCAA in the sub-regional market, thus serving as a "hop" for aviation activities that would lead to increased operations and dividends for the nation.
