Shortage of cement in Ghana will soon be a thing of the past as government embarks on a terminal expansion project at the Tema Harbor to enable the port receive bulk clinker for cement producing companies.

The $122miilion project, which will be completed in the last quarter of 2015 is expected to create room for raw materials needed by GHACEM to facilitate cement production.

The project, which is being done by Amandi Constructions will cover an area space of four hundred by fifty meters, allowing the Tema Harbor to take four additional cargo vessels at a time.

This is expected to create enough space for cargo ships carrying clinker to berth at the port for easy discharge.

Presently, the Tema Harbor has a limited space for receiving clinker, a situation the Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbor Authority (GPHA), Mr. Richard Anamoo, describes as a major contributor to the shortage of the product in the market.

Mr. Anamoo made these remarks on the sidelines of an inspection tour by the Minister for Transport, Mrs. Dzifa Attivor and her deputy Mrs. Joyce Bawa Mogtari.

He noted that the expansion works will further allow other major cement companies such as Dangote to import enough cement into the country, cutting down on the demand.

“The situation has been so because raw materials used in the production of cement are mostly harmful to other imported items and so require absolute isolation and time to clear”, he explained.

According to him, officials of the port take a longer time to clear the product after which thorough cleaning needs to be done.

Mr. Anamoo added that the completion will aid the country to generate more income since the Tema port is a major gateway for some West African landlocked countries.

He disclosed that the facility will be built in a way to enable further expansion in the future if need be.

On her part, Mrs. Attivor expressed government’s satisfaction at the level of progress.

She was optimistic that the project will be completed by November next year to enable GHACEM and other cement producing companies have reliable access to raw materials.

The Minister disclosed that the move has already alerted some major cement producers in the sub-region to commence operations in Ghana.

She maintained that the project will result in boosting the infrastructure development of the country, and ultimately create jobs for the youth.

In a reaction, the Chief Engineer of Amandi Constructions, Mr. David Ben Ayun assured of meeting the completion date for the project.