Contract for coastal fishing ports signed

Mr Anamoo (left) and Mr Tao signing the agreement

THE Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has signed an agreement with the China Harbour Engineering Company for the construction of mini fishing ports and landing sites in 11 fishing communities in the country.

The project, an initiative of the late President Mills, to be financed at a cost of $196 million under the China Development Bank (CDB) loan facility, is aimed at improving economic activities among fisher folk in the selected rural and urban areas.

They are to be sited at Axim, Dixcove and Mumford in the Western Region; Moree, Elmina, Winneba, Senya Beraku and Gomoa Fete in the Central Region; James Town and Teshie in the Greater Accra Region and Keta in the Volta Region.

The Director-General of the GPHA, Mr Richard Anamoo, signed the agreement on behalf of Ghana, while the Country Representative of the China Harbour Engineering Company, Mr Yang Tao, signed on behalf of the Chinese government.

The projects are to be completed over a period of 30 months and will be supervised by Royal Haskoning DHV Group, a global engineering consultancy firm with expertise in the area of transportation, aviation, water and environment.

The Marketing and Public Relations Manager of the GPHA, Ms Joana Frances Adda, said besides the basic marine infrastructure of breakwater and berthing bays for boats and canoes, each of the 11 sites would get appropriately sized facilities such as ice-making plants, day-care centres, fish market sheds, net-mending areas and administration buildings.  

The facilities, she said, would also have in place access roads, electricity and water supply services.

She was optimistic that the projects, when completed, would serve as one of the numerous legacies the late President would have left behind.

Mr Tao, for his part, was optimistic that the project would greatly improve the livelihood of the beneficiary communities, in line with the government’s quest to create opportunities for society at large.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Fri August 3, 2012