Ghana: Press focuses on $137m deal to build floating dock in Takoradi, others

The report that a consortium of development banks and Petra Pension Schemes has agreed to finance “Project Shiprite,” a floating drydock that will be built at the port of Takoradi in the Western Region is one of the leading stories in the Ghanaians press on Thursday.
The Graphic reports that a consortium of development banks and Petra Pension Schemes has agreed to finance “Project Shiprite,” a floating drydock that will be built at the port of Takoradi in the Western Region.
The $137 million dock will have a 13,500-tonne lift capacity, a 200-meter jetty, workshops, offices, and heavy marine equipment.
Approximately $94 million was raised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), African Development Bank (AfDB), the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank, and the Petra Pension Schemes.
Work will be carried out by PMD Assetco, a Ghanaian ship repair company employed under a concession contract by the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority.
“With the achievement of this milestone, the project nicknamed ‘Project Shiprite’ has secured the full commitment of all the providers of the USD137 million in capital that is required,” an Afreximbank statement said.
The AfDB’s Director for Infrastructure, Cities, and Urban Development, Mike Salawou, said over 500 new jobs are expected to be created. “Of which more than 15% will be reserved for youth and women, the socio-economic impact of Project Shiprite is a compelling proposition for the bank.”
The project’s lead sponsor, Mr. Stanley Raja Korshie Ahorlu, said: “PMD Assetco is poised to commence the construction of both the civil works and the floating dock and looks forward to entering the market to support shipowners in the region as international shipping works towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”
The newspaper says that the Ghana Commodity Exchange (GCX) says it has secured fair prices for over 50,000 small scale farmers who have traded on the Exchange since its establishment in 2018, selling their commodities to a value of GHS 280,000,000.
Additionally, over 350,000 have benefitted from training and capacity building.
This includes registered members and non-registered members of the Exchange who leverage the platform to sell their farm produce including maize and soya.
Under its grading system of farm products, it has also ensured that quality and standardised products are sold to ensure the requisite items are sold for their required usage.
The Exchange is therefore, entreating farmers, traders, processors and other interested parties to embrace the idea of trading on the Exchange to secure fair prices for their produce and provide quality food products for the Ghanaian consumer.
“Transparency and efficiency are the bedrock of the Exchange. GCX does not set prices. Negotiations take place solely between the seller and the buyer, we don’t interfere, we allow the market forces to operate on their own,” the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Tucci Ivowi, told the Graphic Business in an interview in Accra.
She noted that these farmers come together under Farmer Based Organisations (FBOs) to enable them aggregate and then trade on the Exchange.
“Initially everyone thought we would struggle convincing these farmers to trade on the Exchange but they were the most willing to try! After experiencing the efficiency, transparency and the speed at which they received their money after trade, they are the biggest advocates of the Exchange,” she stated.
The Ghanaian Times reports that a presidential candidate of the Togolese Movement for Restoration (MTR), Dr Jean-Emmanuel Gnagnon, has arrived in the country to confer with some key institutions and individuals to seek their support for the restoration of democracy in his country.
Dr Gnagnon is being accompanied by his running mate, Advocate Brice Afatsawo- Kpoto, and some executives of the MTR.
The team would interact with the National Peace Council,the Christian Council and Civil Society Organisations in governance, among others.
They would also meet Sheik Dr Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, the National Chief Imam, to seek his support on how to deal with the political crisis currently raging in Togo.
During a visit by the team to the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleumin Accra yesterday, Dr Gnagnon expressed his disapproval of the new legislation in Togo, which granted parliament the power to elect the president, effectively denying citizens their right to vote for a president.
The TMR presidential candidate emphasised that his party was committed to promoting peace, socialism, and progress in Africa, and was determined to challenge the undemocratic move in Togo.
Dr Gnagnon called for international pressure to be brought to bear on Togo’s President, Faure Gnassingbé to reverse the constitutional changes and ensure a democratic and inclusive political process in that country.
The newspaper says that the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has released over GH¢300 million as claims payment to be disbursed to healthcare facilities across the country.
The payment covers the claims vetted for higher tier facilities up to January 2024, and for lower tier facilities, the payments are within the acceptable three-month debt period.
This was announced in a statement issued and signed by the acting Chief Executive of NHIA, Dr Dacosta Aboagye, copied by the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday.
The release of the amount, according to the statement, underscored NHIA’s commitment to ensuring the smooth operation of healthcare services and the sustainability of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
“The timely disbursement aims to enhance the quality of care provided to all NHIS members and support the operational needs of healthcare providers,” it added.
It expressed appreciation to all healthcare providers for their cooperation and patience and assured them of their continuous efforts to improve the efficiency and timeliness of claims processing and payments.
GIK/APA