Parliament approves GH¢921.8m for Transport Ministry for 2022 fiscal year …Railway Devt Min. gets GH¢575.9m

Parliament yesterday approved a GH¢921,843,000 for the Ministry of Transport for its operations for the year ending December 31, 2022. 

Of the total, the Government of Ghana is contributing GH¢222,017,000, internally generated fund is expected to rake in GH¢233,598,000 with donors bringing in GH¢466,228,000. 

Per the report of the Roads and Transport Committee of the House which recommended the approval, GH¢70,298,000 of the amount would be used for compensations, GH¢158,184,000 for goods and services and GH¢694,361,000 for capital expenditure. 

Some projects of the ministry for the year under review include the development of a multi-purpose container terminal at the Takoradi Port, procurement processes for the engagement of a strategic partner for the phase one of the Keta Port, and continuation of the coastal fish landing sites along the coast which stands at 56 per cent. 

The James Town harbour project, 34 per cent complete, would be continued, continuation of the ferry landing sites along the Volta Lake at Dambai and Dambai Overbank, continuation of Ghana Maritime Authority head offices at Tema and Takoradi amongst others in the areas of aviation and transport. 

Moving the motion for the approval of the Committee’s report, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, Chairman, urged the House to approve the estimate for the ministry. 

He said doing this would ensure that the ministry and its agencies continued to function effectively to contribute its quota to the development of the country. 

“The Committee after examining the 2022 annual estimate of the Ministry of Transport and having regard to the important role of the sector in the development agenda of the country, recommends to the House to approve the (amount) for the ministry.” 

Governs Kwame Agbodza, the Ranking Member on the Committee said government has not demonstrated to fixing the transportation problems of the country, having released only GH¢388 million of the GH¢658 million allocated to the ministry in 2021. 

He asked that the position of the Managing Director of the yet-to-be constructed Keta Port be liquidated. 

“There is absolutely no reason (to appoint a MD to a port which is not in existence). I will encourage the minister to liquidate the position of the Director of Keta Port because it is a drain on the country, it is not necessary and we can do something better with that money,” Mr Agbodza said. 

On road safety, the Adaklu MP said the elevation of the National Road Safety Commission to an Authority has not achieved the intention behind the move.

He thinks having reached the status of an Authority, the agency should have been given the necessary tools to expand its tentacles and take road safety campaigns across the country. 

The House, meanwhile, approved GH¢575,970,000 for the activities of the Ministry of Railway Development. 

BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI

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