GPHA set to complete US$1.5bn Port expansion next year

The Ghana Ports and Habours Authority (GPHA), will complete the US$1.5 billion expansion works at the Ports by 2019.

The facilities when completed, will increase the capacity of the Tema and Takoradi Ports for operational efficiency.

The investment in expansion, is also meant to facilitate international business operations in the sub region.

In effect, the GPHA have claimed about 110 hectares of land to build 3.5 million [20 equivalent unit of container] teus container terminal (on concession to the Meridian Port Services, MPS) at Tema.

The Authority has also reclaimed 61.9 hectares of land at the Takoradi Port to build a Bulk Jetty and a Multi-Purpose Terminal.

The money, which was allocated about three years ago, made provisions for the first phase at MPS to be completed this year, with the construction of two berths.

The authority, had signed a 35-year Concessionary Agreement with the MPS on the project.

GPHA’s Director-General, Mr. Michael Luguje, speaking to the Goldstreet Business at the 39th Council Meeting and Conference of the Port Management Association of West and Central Africa (PMAWCA), explained that; “the fundamental challenge of reclaiming land, given the expensive nature of the reclamation of Port land is how we are going to price that space to derive maximum value.”

Mr. Luguje noted that most Ports in the sub-region are increasingly becoming landlords and therefore, there is the need to properly manage rental spaces at Ports for the needed economic returns.

“That is what we want to do in Ghana, by adding value to our port spaces to attract extra businesses in order to mobilize the required revenue,” he noted.

According to him, most ports in the sub-region have made full use of their lands and are constrained as far as expansion is concerned.

Luguje, however maintained that Ghana has the opportunity to make things differently considering some of the major reforms that the Ports have recently undergone in the quest to improve revenue collection.

Transport Minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, touching on upcoming projects in the Ports sector, said, government is considering engagements with private sector to develop new Ports in the country.

He said that agenda is to support the existing ports of Tema and Takoradi to meet the growing demands in the Shipping and Ports trade.