The Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Mrs Hawa Koomson, has announced that the Indian Government has agreed to release funds to revamp the Elmina Fish Processing Plant, which is currently not in operation.

She explained that since the plant was constructed and handed over in 2016, it had never been in operation.

Mrs Koomson announced the support when she briefed the media at Parliament House, Accra, after appearing before the House to respond to questions related to the Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministry.

Member of Parliament (MP) for Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abrem (KEEA), Mr Samuel Atta-Mills, asked a question on why the fish processing plant at Elmina was closed and what the Ministry was doing about it.

The plant she explained had challenges with the absence of an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) (to treat waste after processing) and faulty condenser coils or the refrigerator system.

“The absence of the ETP was a design defect, which the contract did not cover”, she noted.

Mrs Koomson also indicated that her predecessor in her handing over notes stated that the plant has not been in operation since 2016.

She said the Ministry tried to find out what the issues were by calling the consultant who was in-charge and he made them aware that some of the plants were very old before they were brought in for installation.

“When they started operation, it started breaking down.”

She said when she had a consultation with the High Commission for India, they agreed to give Ghana some funding to revamp the plant because the project was sponsored by the Indian Government.

She said the Indian Government had agreed for them to use the outstanding amount on the project to replace the iron coils with copper coils, install an ETP and construct a warehouse for the facility to make it operational. 

Mrs Koomson also explained that the Ministry was currently waiting for the Indian Consultant on the project to arrive in Ghana on August 15, this year since without the consultant and the Indian Contractor the plant cannot be operationalized.

She indicated that the India High Commission was ready to release the funds for the refurbishment of the factory but cannot do so without the consultant writing a report, based on which the High Commission would release the funds to the Ministry to begin work.