The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GHAPOHA) is expected to fully take over the management of the Tema Ship Yard and Dry Dock from July this year, says the Transport Minister.

Government on Monday announced it has settled on the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority to manage the shipyard after reviewing several proposals other firms that wanted to manage the facility.

According to government, it expects the decision taken to  attract the needed, investments, into the Tema Shipyard, so it can venture into the building of, Floating Production Storage and Offloading Vessel FPSO's.

Government maintains that the decision will also help create  more jobs, through diversification and value addition to the economy.  

Transport Minister, Fifi Kwetey tells JOYBUSINESS  it is the process of effecting  the necessary formal communication to GHAPOHA so that it can go ahead to take over the facility "this  is because we want this to happen as soon as possible, so that GHAPOHA can fully take over shipyard, in the third quarter of this year" he added that  GHAPOHA itself is already waiting for the formal communication to take off."

Meanwhile, the transport ministry  has justified government's decision to settle on the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority  as the new firm to manage the Tema Shipyard and Dry Dock.

The  ministry's stance follows concerns from some, workers who are against government's decision to hand over the shipyard to the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority.

According to these workers, they proffered a consortium made up of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GHAPOHA).

But Mr. Kwetey tells JOYBUSINESS GHAPOHA came on top in most of the evaluations carried out.

"GHPA currently managing a dry dock facility  in Takoradi, and the operations in that that Area  shows that it has the experience and the expertise to manage the facility," he said.