The government has reaffirmed its commitment to completing the Boankra Inland Port project, a major trade infrastructure expected to transform shipping and cargo handling in the northern part of the country.

The assurance was given by the Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Operations at the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), Prince Henry Ankrah, during a familiarisation visit to the project site.

Speaking to journalists, Mr. Ankrah stressed that the inland port remains a major government priority under the country’s logistics and transport development agenda.
“I think the government is very committed to this project and to ensure that it's commissioned to serve the purpose for which it was brought forth,” he said.

He explained that the GSA invited shippers to the site, as they stand to be the primary beneficiaries of the facility.

“For us as Shippers Authority, every month we do what we call a Shipper Committee Meeting. We thought it wise that since the shippers are the ones who are going to benefit from this project, it is important that we bring them here to come and assess things for themselves and to see what we've been able to do, to be able to accomplish,” he explained.

The Deputy CEO further emphasised the importance of involving shippers in the development process.

“This is a project for them, and this is also cargo-driven. And for the cargo to come, it means that it will be coming from the shippers,” Mr Ankrah noted. “So it was important that they come and see, assess things for themselves to see how far we've come and to also have an opportunity to engage with the managers of the project to ask questions for themselves and to see what we've been able to do and what is left for us to do.”

Project consultant Dr John Bernard Koranteng Yorke also provided an update, assuring the public that work on the inland port remains on schedule.

“In terms of the scope and then the way we have phased the project, work is going as expected,” he confirmed.

Dr Yorke added that project momentum is expected to increase in the coming months, as several administrative and technical processes have now been completed.

“We think that we can increase the momentum from now onwards based on certain due diligence and things that have been completed, and therefore the road is now clear for us to move on,” he said.