By Evans Worlanyo Ameamu, GNA
Keta (V/R), June 19, GNA- Major General Paul Seidu Tanye-Kulono (Rtd), the Director-General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), has assured that the headquarters of the new port project would be fully operational by January 2027, despite an earlier target of June this year.
Major General Tanye-Kulono, during community engagement forum, held at Lagoon View Hotel at Keta in the Volta Region, to update stakeholders on the status of the project, said a site visit conducted last year found the headquarters building at about 40 per cent completion, and the Authority had since promised to complete it by the end of June this year.
He explained that the timeline had to be revised after engineers detected deficiencies in the original scope of works during construction, which required a variation to avoid having to return later at greater cost to fix the defects.
“The Central Tender Review Board had since approved the request for the variation in scope, paving the way for construction to proceed and for the headquarters to be ready for operations by January 2027, all things being equal,” he said.
He recounted that the Authority had, since last year, undertaken extensive stakeholder engagements and commissioned an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine the suitability of the site for port development and assess the likely effects of construction on host communities.
Major Geneneral Tanye-Kulono announced that the GPHA had, within the last two weeks, received the EPA permit confirming that the location was fit for purpose, describing it as a major milestone for the project.
He explained that with the area now expected to attract significant commercial interest, he advised residents without land in the catchment area to acquire some quickly before prices rise, and encouraged those with the means to invest in accommodation facilities to meet the anticipated demand from incoming workers and businesses.
On the development of the port itself, he mentioned that 42 companies had so far expressed interest in undertaking the project, which he further disclosed that such numbers would be typically narrowed once the full scope of work is presented to prospective developers.
“The authority will over the next three months, review proposals from interested firms and shortlist the four most credible candidates based on their technical capability, operational experience and financial standing.”
He said that the shortlisted firms, would then undergo a rigorous due diligence process involving the GPHA Board and the sector Ministry before a final recommendation would be forwarded to the Presidency, given the President’s keen interest in the project as a strategic national asset.
Major General Tanye-Kulono further said that once due diligence is concluded, the Authority would proceed through the formal tendering process before a contractor or development partner is awarded the contract, and stressed that port construction projects typically take a number of years to complete.
He emphasised that the construction phase would create opportunities for local artisans, including carpenters and masons, and urged parents to encourage their children to pursue port-related courses and certifications so they would be qualified to take up jobs at the port once it becomes operational, rather than see such opportunities go to outsiders.
The Director-General said the port would also serve the transit trade needs of landlocked neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which rely on Ghana’s ports for sea access, and would be linked to the eastern corridor road network and the railway line to facilitate trade movement.
Touching on findings from the EIA, he said the project would involve controlled dredging to reclaim land from the sea rather than building on existing land, and that specified low-noise machinery would be deployed to minimise disturbance, while measures would also be taken to manage dust and construction traffic.
He allayed fears of flooding, explaining that the dredging process would raise the elevation of the reclaimed land, similar to the experience at the Tema thermal plant area, which has not recorded flooding despite its proximity to the sea, and gave an assurance that the Authority would return to update the community before the end of the year once a development partner has been selected.
Mr James Gunu, the Volta Regional Minister, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, expressed excitement over the progress of the and urged residents to take the advantage of the port project.
He appealed to the residents to own the project and assured that it would change the livelihood of the residents along the coast and the entire region and the country as soon as it is completed to create job opportunity for a good number of youth in tge area.
The event was highly attended by Chiefs, Queen mothers, stakeholders, assembly members among other dignitaries.
GNA
Edited by: Maxwell Awumah/Kenneth Odeng Adade