World Bank Killing 800 Port Jobs

A new policy directive by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) at the instance of the World Bank to stevedoring companies operating at the Tema Port is set to collapse the business activities of at least seven indigenous stevedoring companies any moment from now.

The new policy, which is known as the “free for all system” has since the beginning of the year kept seven of the eight authorized stevedoring companies out of job whilst only one, Car Tiederman, (Ghana) Limited, whose Executive Director, Erling Fristche, German, is getting all the jobs so far.

If the situation is allowed to continue, it could result in the laying off of at least 800 workers.

The papers investigations at the Tema Harbour since the first week of January have revealed that the GPHA management took a decision at the behest of the World Bank last year to abolish the existing quota system and introduce the “free for all system” of stevedore allocation effective January 2003.

This follows a World Bank loan GPHA took to improve facilities at the Tema Port.