The Port Advisory Committee which is made up of regulatory, security and standardisation agencies, private and public sector organisations operating in the port has held one of its engagement to deliberate on measures that need to be put in place to improve the state of Ghana’s ports.
The Port Advisory Committee has so far contributed immensely to the impressive strides made by the Port of Tema in the areas of policy formulation and ensuring coherence in the implementation of such policies.
Addressing this year’s Port Advisory Committee, General Manager, Marketing and Corporate Affairs of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Esther Gyebi Donkor, explained pending concerns among the stakeholders including a misconception that GPHA is purchasing trailers to transport containers to their respective destinations.
“As a government institution, the letter was brought to us to ensure, obviously as a port Authority, we are going to allow them to go into the port. Then we sent the letters we have received from DVLA to them that if the time comes and they want to implement that directive, we at the gate will ensure that we see that certification before you enter our port,” she said.
The Assistant Commissioner of Customs, and Sector Commander of Customs in Tema, Felix Mate-Kodjo entreated declarants to be compliant and make the right declarations in order to facilitate clearance of their goods.
“Most of the declarations are not good at all and there are lots of question marks that hang around them, and that is a key issue which is bedevilling facilitation,” he complained.
The former Port Security Manager, Lt. Col. Nana Antwi Darkwa assured the port community of a secured port environment for them to conduct their business.
“In our projections, so far as the authorities are concerned the port will continue to make sure that the Port continues to remain at Level 1 security and never activate level 2. We organise training and exercises to make sure that we will be able to fight that threat. So we want to still be at level 1 where normal activities will play out for you to do business to the benefit of our country”, he said.
The Director of Tema Port, Edward Osei rallied the support of all players in the port industry to facilitate the movement of goods to and from the ports of Ghana.
source: PROSPER AGBENYEGA