Government is committed to the Gateway Project - Aliu

Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama said government was committed to the Ghana Gateway Project and would ensure the development of the Tema Export Processing Zone (TEPZ) to attract investors to establish there.

He said: "The project is dear to our hearts and we cannot allow the huge investments made to go waste. We want to see how we can solve problems facing the development of the enclave in order to achieve targets set for the project."

Alhaji Mahama, who is also the Chairman of the Gateway Oversight Committee, made the pledge when he paid a familiarisation tour of the Free Zones Area.

The World Band and Ghana Government are financing the project estimated at about 45 million dollars to improve facilities at the airports and harbours and organise in-service training for personnel in these institutions and Custom, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS).

Thirty-five million dollars of the amount is for the provision of infrastructure at the enclave.

Alhaji Mahama said the project was expected to bring about efficiency and modernisation at entry ports in the country and asked all stakeholders involved in the project to submit their proposals and commitment to the government before officials of the Bank arrive next month for a review of the project.

Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Minister of Trade and Industry, said the tour would offer the Committee an opportunity to design a critical mass of infrastructure to help Ghana become the gateway and the starting point of all investments in the West African Sub-region.

Dr Apraku said the project would provide the best aviation system, port facilities and human resources for investments but expressed regret that basic infrastructure requirements such as water supply, electricity and communication facilities were not available in the area.

He said business worldwide was competitive and so the area should be made cost-effective and affordable with reliable and cheap water supply, electricity and access roads, adding, "These services should be provided within the enclave to promote business".

Dr Apraku said Ghana was perceived by many investors as a high-risk country for investments and said it was the duty of stakeholders in the economy to remove this stigma and show that Ghana was now a healthy place to invest.

He suggested that payment for construction of units within the enclave should be spread over long periods to make them more attractive for investors.

Mr Kwamena Bartels, Minister of Works and Housing, said expansion works at the Weija Headworks, scheduled for completion next month would increase water supply to the Accra Tema Area to 20 million gallons a day.

He said in addition expansion works at Okponglo would be awarded on contract soon to improve distribution of water to the Accra Metropolis and its environs, while waste disposal in the enclave was also being reviewed.

Mr Michael Asafo-Boakye, Chief Executive of Asafo-Boakye and Partners (ABP) Consult Limited, Consulting Engineers on the project said an efficient infrastructure system was required to operate the enclave.

He said contract for the construction of access roads in the enclave estimated at 33 billion cedis to be completed within 15 months was signed in June and work has began.

Work on the water supply and waste disposal at a cost of 69 billion cedis at the enclave expected to be completed within two years has also began and both projects were in progress.

Mr Asafo-Boakye appealed to the Gateway Oversight Committee to make provision for financial institutions, restaurant operators, dealers in petroleum products and other social service providers to acquire land within the enclave to operate.

Mr Mohamad Pauzi, Manager of Business Focus Ghana limited, said his company has spent about five million dollars to provide initial infrastructure at the site.

He said about 20 companies from Malaysia that have expressed interest to establish within the enclave were assessing the situation to ensure that all basic infrastructure have been put in place before they invest.

On the cost of structures, Mr Pauzi said it ranges between 149,000 dollars for the construction of a detached factory to 446,000 dollars to a terrace factory type of building.