The new board of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has indicated its strong commitment to ensuring that the country’s seaports remain efficient.

Since the ‘90s, Ghana’s ports; Tema and Takoradi have undergone various upgrades to maintain the country’s position in the maritime space in both West and Central Africa despite stiff competition from neighbouring countries.

Board Chair, Isaac Osei said the ports play significant role in the country’s economy as well as the sub-region.

Speaking after a familiarization tour of the Tema Port by the board, he assured that GPHA will continue to provide the needed environment and facilitate trade.

“Other countries use services of this port and that must have implication for revenue generation and this will help position Ghana a as a gateway not just to the sub-region, but also as a transit point for other countries both in the South and North of Tema due to its unique position” he said.

He admitted that there are challenges with equipment among others, but added plans to address them to make the port more efficient.

Beyond these challenges, Isaac Osei was delighted the Authority has staff qualified enough to help deliver the board’s mandate.

With varied experiences in both public and private sectors of the economy in Ghana as well as beyond the shores of the country, Isaac Osei is looking forward to bringing his knowledge to bear.

Meanwhile, Director General of GPHA, Michael Luguje, is particular about the increase in cargo traffic for not just Ghana bound cargo, but also transshipment and transit to landlocked countries.

“It’s an indication that there is trust in our corridor and we are excited about that so we are only reviewing our plans to ensure that we improve on our equipment, capacity, human resource and all other arrangements for stakeholders,” he said.

Asked about the status of the 20% retention of cargo agreement between GPHA and Meridian Port Services( MPS), he said discussions are still ongoing.

The tour which ended at Terminal 3 managed by MPS exposed board members to an aspect of the day-to-day activities at the port.

The familiarization tour will continue at the Takoradi Port and then Keta Port project site.