GPHA corrects misconception about payment of annual bonus to staff

The attention of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has been drawn to an internal memorandum in the media communicating the approval of a bonus to be paid to staff of the authority for 2022.

Unfortunately, the contents of this internal memorandum in the public space has erroneously been interpreted and discussed extensively without recourse to GPHA, which has led to a lot of misleading conclusions and total misinformation by the media.

The Authority is particularly worried about the conduct of some mainstream media houses and personnel who picked the said memorandum online without recourse to the Authority for a balanced story.

Suffice it to say, a performance bonus to staff is a normal industry practice for organizations that are able to post positive results and their Management deems it worthy to motivate employees. Indeed, other organizations including public sector agencies also give out bonuses to their staff.

In the case of GPHA, this is captured in the staff Collective Agreement (CA), and its quantum is negotiated and agreed upon between Labour and Management at the end of every year before payment is made. Payment on pro-rata basis for retired staff in the year is equally a function of the existing Collective Agreement (CA).

While the misconceived debate is going on, we have noticed that the discussion has shifted, largely, to some supposed staff of the Keta Port Project. The support staff of the Keta Port project is GPHA employees. The Keta Port project is a GPHA project and does not exist in isolation.

Staff referenced in the letter are from the three main units, Headquarters, Port of Tema, and Port of Takoradi. However, the practice of information dissemination is to copy all directors, hence the Director of the Keta Port Project.

For the sake of emphasis and proper education, there are three dedicated staff for the Keta Port Project and all of them are under headquarters, while a couple of other projects component-specific supporting staff work with the Keta Port Project Director from other departments of Tema, Takoradi and the Headquarters.

It is therefore erroneous for the impression to be created as though a number of staff have been employed under the Keta Port project, and some have even already retired and have been earmarked to receive a bonus payment.

On the issue of the Keta Port Project, management wishes to remind the public that the Executive Instrument (EI) establishing the Project was issued in October 2018 which paved the way for GPHA to commence the process

So far, work by the Port Authority towards the development of the Keta Port is as follows:

1. Feasibility studies conducted and completed

2. National and international stakeholder engagement held to present the feasibility study findings

3. Notice for Expression of Interest (EOI) by potential investors published.

4. Evaluation of tenders to engage a consultant to conduct the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment studies is ongoing

The next step is to engage investors to a financial conclusion upon which construction can commence for the realization of a port in the Volta and Oti regions that will serve Ghana and her neighbors. Regrettably, the Keta Port Project has become fodder for a section of our compatriots to skew any discussion about GPHA.

The general public is once again informed that Port construction involves long-term deliberate planning, processes, and procedures to achieve full completion and not an event.

The Keta Port project is feasible, efforts by GPHA to build the port is ongoing, and the Director of the Keta Port Project is assiduously leading the team and coordinating the schedule of activities in this regard. It is a port for Ghana, and we humbly invite all well-meaning Ghanaians to support and be good ambassadors of this project.

Management would therefore like to take this opportunity to assure the public that the Authority will continue to work hard in developing Ghana’s Ports and protecting the Authority’s assets for the benefit of all Ghanaians.

SIGNED

ESTHER GYEBI-DONKOR (MRS.)

GENERAL MANAGER, MARKETING & CORPORATE AFFAIRS