PARLIAMENT YESTERDAY approved the annual budget estimates of the Ministries of Roads & Highways, Transport, and Railways Development for spending in the 2023 fiscal year.
The spending plans for the next year were approved by consensus after a debate by Members of Parliament (MPs) from both sides of the aisle.
The House accordingly approved the sum of GH¢5,295,359,626 for the services of the Ministry of Roads and Highways, GH¢618,238,687 for Railways Development, and GH¢1,226,619,067 for the services of the Transport Ministry.
Chairman of the Roads and Transport Committee, Kennedy Osei Nyarko said to decongest the Tema Port and facilitate trade through Ghana’s transit corridor, the ministry embarked on the construction of Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal, which is currently 80% complete.
Additionally, two Transit Truck Parks at Paga and Elubo were constructed and commissioned for operation as part of efforts to improve trade and facilitate smooth flow of cargo to neighbouring landlocked countries.
Commendation
Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, commended the Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah and his outfit for the aggressive nature in which they attended to the construction of the Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal.
“It gives me a lot of hope that indeed they are not just scratching the surface, there is construction. I want to urge the minister to stay on course,” he stated.
On the landing site and fishing ports, Mr. Annoh-Dompreh urged the minister to bring finality to the two facilities since they are important to the country’s economy.
He again supported calls for a speedy work to get Parliament review the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683) and the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I 2180), after it came to the attention of the committee that the ministry was spearheading a review due to implementation challenges.
On transport fares, the Majority Chief Whip lamented on the intransigence of drivers and transport operators against good counsel to reduce fares in the face of reduction of ex-pump prices of petrol and diesel.
“We have often lamented about the skyrocketing price of petrol, diesel in this country, and Speaker, I must commend the government that recent times, we read and receive consistent reduction in the ex-pump price of these products.
“It is gratifying the dollar is also struggling to contain the strength of the cedi. However, I am not happy when the ex-pump price of these products is going down, transport operators don’t pay a heed to this consistent reduction in price of such products,” he stressed.
He added, “We must have an arrangement to deal with this concern. Ghanaian people are speaking to this, and it is a big concern for all of us.”
Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka lauded the government for its effort in working to complete the Boankra project.
“Mr. Speaker, I am sure before you came to this House you knew about Boankra. Every year, we hear one story or the other. It should be a welcoming news,” he stated.
He wondered why the committee’s report did not capture the Keta Fishing Port, and added, “You have the Tema Shipyard that is virtually asking everybody to go home in this critical period. All the difficulties that the staff are going through, and the issue did not find in the report.”
Minister
The Transport Minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, said, “Per our estimates, we are supposed to reach 80% of construction by the end of 2023, and by the middle of 2024, the project will be completed.”
In relation to the Keta Port, he stated that he made it clear to the Committee that “this is a PPP project that government and the private sector are doing. We needed to go through the regime for it to be very viable because we are trying to invite the international community.”
According to him, the ministry had finished with the feasibility studies which came out the project was viable, noting that the government needed to do something.
“Government has made an initial provision of about $5 million for the administrative block. Even yesterday, the GPHA together with the traditional leaders were in Keta to try to identify a land.
“I want to assure the House that by the first quarter of next year, we will start the construction. We are going through the procurement processes, for government to build the administrative block,” he asserted.
BY Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House