President John Mahama will today cut sod for expansion works to begin on the Tamale Airport in the Northern Region.
The contractural agreement for the project, expected to be completed in September 2015, was signed between the management of the Ghana Airports Company Limited and the Brazilian construction company and subsequently rectified by parliament in September last year.
The first phase involves the extension of the runway and the installation of a complete lighting system to be able to accommodate bigger aircrafts.
[contextly_sidebar id=”u1DGKYb2Ns64lPumtkPzqo2Eb9f6yaQ4″]Speaking to Citi News, the Deputy Minister for Transport, Joyce Bawa Mogtari said the airport when completed will augment the facility at Kotoka International Airport.
She said the President decided to set up the facility to open up the Northern Rector for economic activities and also create avenues for employment.
“The project other than engaging people in terms of contractual work, will also be employing people directly. Most of these workers are actually drawn from Ghana. Infact the expatriate staff form a very small number of the entire working force.”
“We are actually hoping that eventually the potential Hajj pilgrims will be airlifted directly from Tamale. Specifically those within the Sahilian belt of the country,” she explained.
The Ministry of Transport on August 7, 2013 signed an agreement with Geiroz Galvao Construction, a Brazilian construction company to execute the project.
The then Managing Director of the Ghana Airports Company Doreen Fianko told journalists that the construction of the runway alone would cost about $100 million.
By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana