Parliament of Ghana yesterday approved the sum of GH¢921,843,000.00 for the services of the Ministry of Transport and its agencies to carry out their programmes and activities for the 2022 fiscal year ending 31 December 2022.
The allocation represents an increase of 40.13% over the 2021 budgetary allocation of GH¢ 657,839,197.00.
The programme budget covers the ministry’s headquarters as well as the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ghana Marine Authority, Ghana Shippers Authority, the Regional Maritime University, the Volta Lake Transport Company and the PSC Tema Shipyard.
It also covers the Ministry’s Road Transport Services including the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, National Road Safety Authority, Metro Mass Transport Limited, Inter-City STC Coaches Limited as well as the Government Technical Training Centre.
A deputy minister of Transport, Mr Frederick Obeng Adom, moving the motion for approval in parliament, explained that the objectives of the ministry include increasing the efficiency and capacity of port operations, ensuring the safety and security of all categories of road users and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of road transport infrastructure and services.
The policy objective of the ministry, as derived from the Medium-Term Development Framework, is to also enhance the contribution of inland waterways for safe and efficient transportation of goods and people and to ensure effective and effective flow of goods, services and related information to meet consumer requirements.
The Chairman of the Committee Roads and Transport Committee Kennedy Nyarko Osei presenting the Committee’s report said the Committee observed with concern the arbitrary fees charged by shipping lines which significantly increase the import cost of importers and ultimately sours up cost of imported commodities.
The Ranking Member of the Committee and the MP for Adaklu, Mr Governs Kwame Agbodza, called for the liquidation of the position of Director of the non-existent Keta Sea Port, which he described as a drain on the nation’s scarce resources.
Railway Development
Parliament has also approved the annual estimates totalling GH¢575,970,000.00 for the services of the Ministry of Railway Development for the year ending 31 December 2022 instead of the required capital expenditure of GH¢2,520,033,185.00
The Minister for Railway Development, Mr John Peter Amewu, in moving the motion for approval, noted that the objectives of the ministry are to modernise and extend the existing rail network, ensure effective and efficient flow of goods, services and related information to meet consumer needs as well as develop associated infrastructure to enhance well-functioning regulatory bodies.
The Chairman of the Roads and Transport Committee, Mr Kennedy Nyarko Osei, in presenting the Committee’s report, disclosed that the Tema-Mpankadan standard gauge railway project is about 90% done and is expected to be fully completed in 2022.
In another development, the house has approved the sum of GH¢574,856,000.00 in annual estimates for the services of the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation for the year ending 31 December 2022.
