President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, has cut sod for work to commence on the US$330 million Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal project, popularly referred to as the Boankra Inland Port Project, which has been on the drawing board for about eighteen years.
The concept of the Boankra Inland Port has been a common discussion in the port industry of Ghana.
It is an initiative of the Ministry of Transport acting through the Ghana Shippers’ Authority.
The Concessionaire, Ashanti Ports Services Limited, a joint venture of Afum Quality Limited of Ghana and DSS Associates of the Republic of Korea, is expected to design, engineer, finance, procure, construct, operate, and maintain the project, and transfer title to the Government after a thirty (30) year period.
The Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal project is intended to augment the positioning of import and export services closer to the doorstep of shippers in the Northern part of Ghana, improve the operational efficiency of the existing seaports in Tema and Takoradi, and facilitate greater intermodal linkages with Ghana’s landlocked trade partners in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
The CEO of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, Benonita Bismarck, said significant employment opportunities would be created through the inland port’s supply chain, including export processing, warehousing, transportation and receipt and delivery operations.
The Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah said when completed, the 413-acre port facility space would automatically create a commercial hub in the middle belt of Ghana through the establishment of logistics and supply chain system around the terminal.
“It will also promote technology and skill transfer to strengthen the local resources for our development and to create the much-needed employment opportunity for the people of country,” he expressed.
The Minister for Railway Development, Joe Ghartey, indicated that the Boankra inland Port would be served by a new modern standard gauge rail network.
The President of Ghana, Nana Akufo Addo said the massive project which would be delivered within a 3-year period, is a part of government grand plan to develop an efficient intermodal framework that spurs Ghana’s transport sector onto world class levels.
“An important aspect of Ghana’s agenda for development in the transport sector is to establish intermodal framework where rail, road, port, riverine and other pipeline transport projects complement each other.”
