The management of the Volta Lake Transport Company (VLTC), a subsidiary of the Volta River Authority (VRA), yesterday appeared before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee to address concerns about frequent ferry breakdowns on the Volta Lake.
Led by the Director for Medical Services of VRA, Rose Appiah Okyere, the management explained that the rough nature of the lake and the design of the vessels contributed to the breakdowns, but assured the committee that they had a team in place to quickly address any issues.
The committee expressed concerns about the commercial potential of the Afram Plains River and requested assurance that at least one of the five new ferries to be purchased with a Korean loan would be allocated to that route.
The Deputy Minister of Transport, Alhassan Sulemana Tampuli, assured the committee that the appeal had been taken into consideration.
The management also discussed the charting of the Volta Lake, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year with the assistance of the Ghana Maritime Authority and the Danish Embassy. This is expected to reduce breakdowns and improve navigation.
The committee sought clarification on the impact of debt exchange on the ferry services, but the Deputy Minister explained that the process was stalled due to debt exchange issues, but was now back on course.
The VLTC management assured the committee that measures were being taken to address the challenges and improve ferry services on the Volta Lake.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House