GPHA disclosed that a private developer, LIB Limited, is putting up a facility at Tema, which is expected to receive Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) imports for onward distribution and sale to oil marketing companies.

Also, a fishing company, Omanye Oceans Fisheries Limited, is alleged to be constructing a boat yard along the shores of the Volta River at Anyanui in the Volta Region, while cement manufacturer, Diamond Cement Limited, is also reported to be developing a jetty at Keta in the same region, to receive clinker imports for the production of cement at its factory in Aflao.

[contextly_sidebar id=”oVZiBfqC8ioFdqKxErIYIdjEreuHK7D1″]Throwing more light on the development, the acting Director-General of the GPHA, Paul Ansah Asare, said on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday that, his outfit will take action against the organisations in question because it breaches the PNDC Law 160 of 1986, which makes the GPHA the sole state entity authorized to plan, build, develop, manage, operate and control port facilities.

He added that such activities pose security threats to the country.

On Omanye’s supposed port, Mr. Asare said when they visited the site last Friday, “there were a lot of vessels and a lot of Chinese nationals over there; a clear indication that some port facility has been developed there without recourse to the due process of law.”

“Not only that place, but there is another place close to Tema where the people had developed about 600 meters of a jetty into the sea. And there were indications that somewhere around Keta as well, Diamond Cement is also preparing to develop a similar facility, all of them without due process of the law. It is a recipe for disaster,” he added.

Mr. Asare noted that, the framers of the PNDC Law 160 of 1986 “took cognizance of the seriousness of operating ports…the law gives such prerogative to the president through an executive instrument, not even through the approval of somebody at the presidency. But an executive instrument must be issued by the president to declare an enclave as a port. So it’s not a very simple thing to say that you have received a permit from the environmental protection or the metropolitan assembly or Ghana maritime authority, so you are in for a port just as you cannot go for a land somewhere and say you are developing an international airport so you cannot do that for a port.”

“It’s a huge operation they are about to undertake and with regards to the Diamond cement facility, they are building a vessel that can bring about 40,000 tons of clinker. It’s a huge operation synonymous to what is happening in our ports,” the acting GPHA boss noted.

When asked why they had not clamped down on such operations in the past, the acting Director General said the said companies had contacted them with regards to such projects “but that did not conclude into granting of licenses on what they are doing.”

“Granted that the monitoring was weak at that time, I believe that now the willpower is there to restore law and order. That is why our intelligence picked the signal and immediately we followed up to stop what was going on because it’s not in the interest of the country,” he added.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post GPHA halts construction of 3 ‘illegal’ ports appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Some residents of the Aflao have in recent times demonstrated over what they term the unhealthy competition faced by the local cement company located in the area Diamond Cement from foreign competitors.

The Ghana Cement Manufacturers Association have called for a regulation on the importation of cement to alleviate the pressure on the local cement industry.

Speaking during President Mahama’s visit to Aflao over the weekend, Togbui Fiti, underscored the need for a Presidential intervention to address the issue.

“You Excellency, there is a cement war currently going on in the country and I therefore humbly wish to appeal to you to intervene to create a level playing field for all stakeholders in the cement industry in order to save our local industries from folding up,” he said.

Background to ‘cement war’

Togbui Amenya Fiti’s concerns stem from the tensions created by the  import of cement from China and Nigeria.

Some youth of Aflao accused government of being insensitive to the imminent downsizing of Diamond Cement because of Dangote’s involvement in the retail of  the product in Ghana, describing it as unfair competition.

The development is said to have reduced Diamond Cement’s annual production capacity of 1.8 million bags, to 1.3 million bags.

A youth group, mostly casual workers of Diamond Cement alleged cheating on the part of Dangote cement as they have explained that the activity by the Nigerian company is offering undue competition which in their opinion is likely to cripple the growth and expansion of Diamond cement.

Anger at Trade Ministry

In October 2016, the Cement Manufacturers Association of Ghana (CMAG) expressed its displeasure with Ekow Spio-Garbrah, Minister of Trade & Industry, for offering a permit to a Chinese company to import 500,000 metric tons of cement into Ghana without the approval of the Cement Monitoring Committee established by government.

According to the association, which comprises GHACEM Limited, Tema; GHACEM Limited, Takoradi; Diamond Cement Ghana Limited, Aflao; Savanna Diamond Company Limited, Buipe and Western Diamond Cement Limited, Takoradi, the permit festered unfair trade practices in the country.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Aflao chief to Mahama: Intervene in ‘cement wars’ appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.