Deputy Minister of Finance, Kwaku Kwarteng last week paid a working visit to the Tema Port Expansion Project to ascertain what preparations have been made as the opening of the Expanded Port of Tema in June 2019 gets near.
The CEO of MPS, Mohamed Samara, described the container terminal as one designed with the utmost interest of the nation at heart. The new infrastructure is designed and equipped with cutting-edge technology not only for operational productivities but also include the best practices being implemented in the most advanced ports with processes dedicated for the enhancement of Boarder Security and Safeguarding Government Revenue.
The new container terminal has been designed with a fully integrated process and secure gate operating system. It includes the best Terminal Operating System (TOS) Navis- N4), Truck Appointment System (TAS), Biometric Access Control for drivers, Optical character recognition (OCR) for detecting container numbers, Weigh Bridges, Scanners and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for recognizing trucks within the terminal.
“This fully integrated port infrastructure investment is being implemented to maximize efficiency, enhance border security and add value to the economy” the CEO of MPS said.
The Tema Sector Commander for Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Dr. Godfred Okoh-Appiah confirmed that the Customs administration role is incorporated in this system.
The Deputy Minister of Finance, impressed with the investment and laid down processes, said “Indeed this is commendable, it is obvious that it will drive economic growth. I assure you that, the Ministry will be on hand to guide and support the relevant government agencies to safeguard state revenue”
The Deputy Minister and the delegation were subsequently given a tour of the new terminal where he experienced firsthand how operations will be done from the cranes. He was elated with the skills and competence of the Ghanaian talent pool who manned the cranes.
The Tema Sector Commander, Dr. Okoh-Appiah, said his outfit was fully aware of it responsibility, noting, “We have made preparations to start working around the clock, that is 24 hours to cater for the trade and industry development and complement the operations of the new container terminal. What we are doing is redeploying ourselves into a shift system for effective operations and will undoubtedly create more jobs.”
MPS is a joint venture between Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority and Meridian Port Holdings Limited, which is, in turn, a joint venture with Bolloré Transport and Logistics and APM Terminals as the two main shareholders.
The company operates with the vision to provide world-class container handling services which contributes to trade facilitation and to position Ghana as a leader in the World Maritime Industry.
Source: 3news.com | Ghana