Cabinet approves transfer of Tema Shipyard to GPHA
Cabinet has directed the Ministry of Transport to hand over the operations of the PSC Tema Shipyard and Dry Dock Company Limited to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA).
It has also approved the take-over of an offshore mooring facility from Trafigura, free from encumbrances, at the end of the concession by the Ministry of Petroleum.
These decisions were contained in a statement issued and signed by Dr Edward Omane Boamah, the Minister of Communications, to the Ghana News Agency in Accra.
The statement said the decisions, which were taken during the 41st meeting of Cabinet, chaired by President Mahama, expected that the Tema Shipyard would, in the long term, attract the needed resources to venture into the building of Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels for the oil and gas industry even as it continued to provide services to the ports and harbours and related sectors in the short to medium term.
“The Ministry will thereafter transfer the facility to the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) for its use over a period of 15 years. This is part of government’s initiatives to comprehensively re-position TOR in Ghana’s downstream petroleum sector to offer regular supply of petroleum products to Ghanaians and our neighbouring countries,” it said.
The statement said the decisions taken to transfer the PSC Tema Shipyard to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and the provision of a mooring facility for the use of Tema Oil Refinery were expected to contribute significantly to efforts being made to create more jobs through diversification and value addition to Ghana’s raw materials.
It said the mooring facility, which is a loading buoy anchored offshore, would also serve as a point of interconnection for tankers loading or offloading gas or liquid petroleum products.
The statement said other decisions taken by Cabinet were the approval of an Affirmative Action Bill and a $97,450,000 financing for the second tranche of the modernisation of the Kumasi Central Market and Kejetia Infrastructure Project.
“Ongoing works to modernise the Kumasi Central Market and the Kejetia Infrastructure Project being worked on by 340 workers has reached an advance stage and will provide a modern and befitting environment for traders and their customers, particularly women who regularly visit the market.”
The statement said the Affirmative Action Bill sought to advance and ensure women empowerment with the view to according females the enabling and progressive environment to progress in Ghana.
President Mahama urged all Ghanaians including traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, workers, academia and students to support the passage of the bill as it made its way to Parliament for consideration and approval.
“Considering the progress Ghana has made in her democratic journey, the Affirmative Action Bill is deemed to be appropriate, responsive, fit for purpose, progressive and long overdue,” the statement quoted President Mahama as saying during the discussion of the Bill.
Source: GNA