October 2014 The Hague: The Kenyatta trial South Sudan: A troubled nation AfricThe Pan-Africana Magazinew Of Choiceatch Ebola Was it man-made? 10-OCT $4.00 CDN $3.00 US 10 Transporting Ghana into the future SPOTLIGHT 0456698 93707 US: $5.00 UK: £3.00 Canada: C$4.00 Ghana: GH¢7.00 Nigeria: N250 Liberia: US$4.00 Sierra Leone: LE10,000 Gambia: Da80 South Africa: R24.95 Transporting Ghana into the future Ghana’s transport minister, Dzifa Aku Attivor As part of its transition from a lower middle- income country to full middle-income status, Ghana is aggressively positioning itself to become the transport hub of West Africa. In SPECIAL this 20-page Special Report, the minister for transport, Dzifa Aku Attivor, and the heads of REPORT the relevant transport sector agencies, take us through the massive developments going on in the sector. This is in fulfillment of President John Dramani Mahama’s promise of making Ghana the gateway not only to West Africa, but to the whole continent. Ghana: Implementing the government’s transport vision technology. And just as air transport, The transport minister the government is improving Ghana is far ahead in terms of infrastructure says the government is pro- and modernizing its ports sec- viding an integrated network tor to keep up with the grow- than other lower middle-income African countries, in the country that makes ing demands of the but as the West African nation advances to middle- passenger travel as well as fast-expanding economy. freight transport efficient, Major expansion projects are income status, the government is upgrading and cost effective, affordable and, underway at the two harbors, expanding infrastructure, particularly in the perhaps most important, safe Tema and Takoradi, to in- and secure. Such a system, crease their capacities and transport sector, to meet current and future she says, will bolster Ghana’s also to ensure that both are reputation in becoming an im- being fully equipped to service demands as well as to establish the country as portant gateway to Africa. local and international ship- a safe gateway to the African market. The government is expand- pers. Soon congestion at the ing and developing the air- ports would be eased consid- transport infrastructure to erably, and the long lines of establish a more efficient and vessels at the ports would be reliable, ef- ficient, cost- effective and modern transporta- tion“A system is required to fast track [Ghana’s] transition from a lower middle-income to a fully-fledged middle-income status. To this end we have, over the last few years, been putting in place the building blocks for reaching this goal,” said President John Mahama in his State of Nation address delivered early this year. “We have always been fond of referring to Ghana as the gateway to West Africa,” the president added, “but more and more it is looking like Ghana is becoming a gateway to the rest of Africa as well.” This, in essence, is the sum of the government’s transport as a transport hub of West user needs; 3) integrate land productive aviation industry a thing of the past. Already, vision, and the philosophy be- Africa.” use, transport planning, de- that will effectively compete clearance procedures of goods hind the transport-sector re- Thus, on the following velopment planning, and in the marketplace while pro- at the ports have been simpli- forms and construction pages, you shall see how the service provision and 4) cre- viding first-class service. The fied to prevent delays. currently going on in the government, via the Ministry ate a vibrant investment and country has one international Recognizing the importance country to make it an ideal of Transport and the relevant performance-based manage- airport, Kotoka, in Accra, be- of maritime security to the place for investors. sector agencies, is implement- ment environment that maxi- sides other local airports. Sev- economy, the government has The vision, according to ing the government’s trans- mizes benefits for public and eral major international allocated the requisite re- Dzifa Aku Attivor, minister port vision, or trying to private sector investors. airlines fly there regularly. sources to protect its maritime for transport, is “to create an achieve the goals set by the vi- The other objectives are to Most of the country’s air- domain, in view of the rise of integrated, modally comple- sion. develop and implement com- transport market is interna- illegal activities, particularly mentary, cost-effective, safe, Overall, the vision contains prehensive and integrated tional. With the improved piracy. The completion of a secure, sustainable and seam- seven policy objectives. These policy, governance, and insti- safety and security of air Vessel Traffic Management less transportation system re- are: 1) establish Ghana as a tutional frameworks; ensure transport in the country, in- Information System (VTMIS) sponsive to the needs of transportation hub for the sustainable development in ternational and domestic pas- has put the Ghana Maritime society, supporting growth West African subregion; 2) the transport sector; and de- senger numbers have Authority in effective elec- and poverty reduction, and ca- create and sustain an efficient velop adequate human re- increased dramatically over tronic surveillance control of pable of establishing Ghana transport system that meets sources and apply new the past few years. the country’s maritime juris- 36 October 2014 Africawatch diction. buses from the government to The government has also augment its already impres- drawn up plans to develop the sive fleet of 1,017. An addi- railway network – track would tional 30 new buses will be be upgraded to standard- purchased by the company it- gauge, and new railway lines self to enhance the fleet. would be constructed. The On the luxury-travel side, Western Rail Line would be the Intercity STC Coaches rehabilitated as well as the Limited (ISTC) has by far the Suburban Rail Lines, includ- most ambitious plans to re- ing rolling stock, for Accra- create the glorious days of its Nsawam, Takoradi-Kojokrom- past as a way of conquering Sekondi, and Kumasi-Ejisu. the future than any other Also completed are the feasi- transport-related company or bility studies for the rehabili- agency in Ghana. In January tation of the Eastern and 2015, Minister Attivor says Central Lines, and the expan- the ISTC will take delivery of sion and construction of rail 45 brand new Scania luxury lines to northern Ghana. coaches bought by the govern- “Before the end of my first ment of Ghana, which, in one term [i.e., December 2016], fell swoop, will increase the Ghana will witness a revival ISTC’s current fleet size by of its railway transport serv- more than 125 percent and ice, carting export products to give it the wherewithal to im- the ports and safely carrying plement some of the lofty commuters over various dis- ideas it has under its belt. tances,” the president prom- Overall, the prospects of the ised in his 2014 State of the transport sector are very Nation address. good. The massive develop- Minister Attivor says the ment going on in the sector government is committed to has raised Ghana’s investor the provision of reliable, safe attractiveness. And with its and efficient mass transport political stability, better eco- services by road in Ghana and nomic policies, and strong eco- the West African subregion. nomic growth, the country is In the next few months, she poised to become the regional says, passengers who use leader. Metro Mass Transit (MMT) buses for their travels in the country will see expanded One of the major expansion works at Kotoka International Airport, service when the company the Southern Apron construction, is due to be completed this year. takes delivery of 200 new Africawatch October 2014 37 38 October 2014 Africawatch “There is a lot going on in the transport sector”, says Transport Minister Dzifa Aku Attivor. This includes plans to establish a new national airline on a public-private partnership basis. According to the minister, the country has leaned a lot of lessons from why the previous two national airlines, Ghana Airways and Ghana International Airlines, Ghana to get new failed. “And I can assure you that our govern- ment will not commit the same mistakes.” national airline Besides the new airline, there are plenty of expansion works going on in the aviation, railway and ports sub-sectors of the country’s transport sector. In this interview, Minister Attivor talks about some of the works. Q: What would you say is A: Our transformation wide body aircraft and it is al- ground lighting to facilitate the philosophy behind agenda is designed to position most completed. night-flight operations. We your government’s trans- Ghana as the gateway to the also recently installed an in- port vision? continent. As such the presi- Q: And the Tamale Air- strument-landing system to A: Ghana is a lower-middle- dent is supporting my min- port is being turned into guide pilots when they are income country, and we are on istry to undertake rapid an international airport? coming to land, because the the threshold of reaching a full upgrade and expansion of the A: Yes. Work has already weather in Kumasi is very un- middle-income status. So country’s airports, particu- started on a $125 million proj- predictable. under the leadership of Presi- larly the Kotoka International dent John Mahama, the gov- Airport (KIA), and both Tema ernment has embarked on a and Takoradi harbors. We will “Air transport is one of the massive transformation pro- also rehabilitate and improve gram based on economic di- the railway system, and pro- cardinal points of our economic versification, macroeconomic vide a more efficient road growth, so we take aviation safety stability, social inclusion and transport service.