Burkina Faso: Exciting times ahead for Ghana's ports

By the first quarter of 2019, it is anticipated that the first phase of the 1.5 billion dollar worth project at Ghana’s Tema port would be complete. In addition, a 370 million dollar Takoradi Atlantic terminal project would also commence in April 2019.
These are to see to the various terminals in terms of transit trade in the country. With these Ghana’s ports would be ranked top in the West African sub-region among its neighbouring ports. A representative of Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, GPHA, in charge of the Sahelian regions, Mr. David Songotu mentioned this in an interview with GBC24 at the SIAO fair in Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou.
Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) is deepening its Transit growth agenda in line with its strategy to become the leading ports complex in West Africa. Transit traffic has experienced subdued growth form several years now due to the implementation of the axle load policy in Ghana in 2009. Marginal growth was recorded in the past years.
However, due to the aggressive trade promotion coupled with changes in policy direction in 2016, transit traffic has shown signs of getting out of the protracted recession. Total cargo traffic for both Tema and Takoradi ports, grew from 19,459,834 tonnes in 2016 to 22,086,626 tonnes in 2017, representing a 13% increase.
Transit cargo in both ports also increased from 944,081 tonnes in 2016 to 1,249,336 tonnes in 2017, a rise of 32%. Container traffic for both ports rose from 942,463 TEU in 2016 to 1,009,755 TEU in 2017, registering a 7% increase.
A representative at the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority in charge of Sahelian regions (Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger), Mr. David Songotu said the fulcrum of GPHA strategy seeks to automate its business processes, expand port capacity and effectively grow export, transit and transhipment traffic.

Due to the sub-regional competition, transhipment is becoming increasingly important as vessels continue to grow in size and number. GPHA says it is working to keep the transhipment traffic moving efficiently through the new Tema Port expansion facilities, dredged to a depth of 16.0meters and with a capacity of 3.5 million TEU.
In another development, GPHA has taken the opportunity at the 15th edition of SIAO in Ouagadougou to engaged Burkina Faso to import Tuna fish from Ghana through its ports. This is anticipated to generate revenue for Ghana’s fishing industry.
Story by: Dorothy Agyemang