Financial arrangements for construction of Tamale airport underway – Minister
The Government is to finalise financial arrangements to commence the design and construction of the Tamale Aerodrome to be upgraded into a second international airport for the country.
The project will expand and upgrade the aerodrome into an international status to serve as an alternative to the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) and operate as a hub for sub-regional flights to ease pressure and congestion in the hemmed at KIA.
Alhaji Collins Dauda, Minister of Transport stated this in Accra on Tuesday at the “Meet-the-Press” series to explain developments, successes and challenges under the Transport Sector.
He said the development of the Tamale Aerodrome would enhance efficiency in the handling of future Hajj operations since the sub-region was characterised by a large Muslim population who would patronise it.
Alhaji Dauda said the Northern belt also had high agro-based industrial potential, great historic heritage and cultural sites, which required an efficient air transport system to boost agriculture and tourism and also serve as stimulus to the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) project.
He said government had also provided GH¢10 million in the 2012 Budget to undertake rehabilitation works on the Kumasi and the Sunyani aerodrome runways while landside activities at the Kotoka International Airport had also been planned to take-off in 2012.
These include an Airport Business Centre, new office for freight forwarders, new airline office complex, warehousing facilities, maintenance, repair and operation services and a multi-storey car park.
Alhaji Dauda said in anticipation of the future growth in traffic at the Kotoka International Airport, the Ministry through the Ghana Airports Company Limited, would continue to process the on-going acquisition of land at Prampram to develop a future new international airport.
On the maritime and Inland Waterway sub-sectors, he said, the Ministry was focusing on infrastructure development to meet the growth and demand in the sub-sector. The Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) would complete the detailed design and commence phase I of the Takoradi Port expansion project to meet the needs of the increasing number of vessels.
Other areas include completion of expansion works at the Tema Fishing Harbour, acquisition of additional cargo handling equipment, pilot patrol boats, mooring launch and tug boats for the ports of Tema and Takoradi.
Alhaji Dauda said the designs had also been completed and works on the rehabilitation of Fish Landing sites under the China Credit Facility at Tepa Abotase, Dzemeni, James Town, Teshie, Axim, Dixcove, Elmina, Mumford, Gomoa Fete, Moree, Senya Breku and Winneba would commence soon.
Other areas the Minister addressed were the face lifting of Intercity State Transport Company, improving the railway sector by expanding the Tema-Accra network while plans were also underway to resurrect the Accra-Takoradi-Kumasi-Accra railway lines.
Source: GNA