Paul Ansah: A true transformational leader

In his one and a half years service as Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Paul Asare Ansah pursued policies and undertook actions that personify true transformational leadership.

In the history of the port industry in West and Central Africa, the development and operation of container terminals have always been undertaken by multinational corporations like AP Moler, Boloré Group, MSC and DP World among others.

He is the first CEO of a port authority to break the monopoly of multinational corporations. Against all odds, he awarded a container terminal concession in the Port of Takoradi to a 100% indigenous company as the first of it's kind in West and Central Africa.

This historical initiative would help minimize capital flight of foreign currency earnings from the port industry.

Moreover, he initiated the development of a Port Infrastructure Development Fund to enable the port industry raise local funding to support port development. This would break the over reliance on foriegn borrowing to support development in the industry.

The fund would also empower the port authority to leverage respectable win-win agreements with any foreign or local private partner.

Considering the unfavourable import-export ratio of 70:30, he established an inter agency focal group comprising representatives from Exim Bank, Free Zones Board, Export Promotion Authority, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ghana Customs, Ghana Shippers Authority, Private Enterprise Foundation, Ghana Chamber of Commerce, etc to develop and implement a common strategy to improve the development of the export sector.

Truly, Paul Asare Ansah walked the talk as a true transformational leader.