President cuts sod for €85m Elmina fishing port

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Thursday begun his three-days working visit to the Central Region with a sod-cutting ceremony to commence the construction of Elmina fishing port rehabilitation and expansion project at Elmina in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA)Municipality.

The €85M Project being executed by Bellsea Limited,(Member of the DEME Group) is a Government of Ghana and Netherlands assisted Project.

It is a continuation of a facelift project of the Elmina short/medium term plan, which is in line with government’s ongoing programme to rehabilitate and construct Fishing Ports and Landing Sites along the coastal stretch of the country.

Scheduled for completion within 12 months, the project aims at constructing adequate facilities at the habour and carry out periodic maintenance to ensure the durability of the habour located at the entrance of the Benya Lagoon.

The project involves the expansion of the port entrance to welcome larger vessels and canoes, and generally provide modern facilities of international standards for port operations.

In addition to the proposed dredging and reclamation works of Benya Lagoon, it will guarantee the sustainable revitalization of the town and the long-term development of the strategic project.

It will strengthen Elmina's position in the fishing and salt industries and place the city at the heart of the cultural ambition of the Government along the coast.

Addressing the gathering at the ceremony, President Akufo-Addo underlined the immense contribution the sector will generate in terms of employment and addition to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He noted that the project will be a key to the development of the fishing industry and would additionally bring about job creation and increase the food and nutritional values of the people of the area and Ghana at large.

He assured that Government was working assiduously to build more fishing infrastructure along the coastal stretch of Ghana with innovative policies and programmes to sustain the sector.

The President was optimistic that the newly-developed waterfront will have a significant positive influence on tourism activities in the Elmina enclave and called on all to support him to achieve it.

Mr. Kwamena Duncan, the Central Regional Minister enumerated the massive social infrastructural projects, factories, and unrivaled investments in agriculture, fishing- landing beaches among others.

He pledged Government's determination to construct more fisheries and coastal infrastructure with ancillary facilities to better the lot of fishers.

Nana Kojo Condua XI, Omanhen of Elmina Traditional Area expressed gratitude to the President for the honour done the historical city of Elmina and called on all to be optimistic and render their unalloyed support to complete the project as scheduled.

He pleaded with the President to ensure that the Edina Traditional Council got its share of the revenue from the Elmina Castle and thanked the Government for the quantities of outboard motors distributed to fishermen to aid their fishing expeditions.

Sector Ministers including Mrs. Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Minister, Mrs. Barbara Oteng Gyasi, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, Works and Housing Minister, and Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, Transport, took turns to address the elated jubilant people who showered praises on the government.