Phase one of the US$308 million Boankra Integrated and logistics Terminal (BILT), otherwise known as the Boankra Inland Port project at Boankra, in the Ejisu Municipality of Ashanti region, is expected to be completed by the first quarter of this year, Dr. Justice Amo, Chief Executive of Justmoh Construction Limited, the contractors executing the project, has announced.
The phase one, currently at 78% complete, includes a storage facility, security zone, roads and the terminal, adding that the phase will be operational after completion and that, the Phase two is expected to be completed by 2026.
A total 160 hectares of land is being developed under the project to handle both imports and exports from the Northern parts of the country and neighbouring countries.
It would have among other things, an inland clearance depot, customs bonded and unbonded estates, commercial areas such as banks, offices and trading facilities, vehicle parking and light industrial areas and an administration block complex.
The project would also provide services for importers and exporters in the middle and the northern parts of the country, and also act as a major conduit for the efficient transportation of transit traffic to and from our neighbouring landlocked countries of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
The Project comprises a COCOBOD terminal, which will facilitate exportation of cocoa in the Ashanti region to other neighbouring countries, while the Tema Oil Refinery will get its Terminals within the Port.
The project’s completion will also enhance Ghana’s position as a major player in the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
As the Phase One of the project nears completion, residents at Boankra and its surrounding communities have expressed happiness over the pace at which the project is going.
Over 7000 workers, both skilled and unskilled labour, would be employed on completion and create significant informal employment opportunities within the region and beyond.
Dr. J.B. Koranteng Yorke, the Project Director for Boankra Inland Project, highlighted the importance of the project in reducing traffic congestion and accidents on the Accra-Kumasi highway.
He revealed that the team had designed an interchange to address these concerns.
Ing. Jarra Siddique, the Project Manager of Justmoh Construction Limited disclosed that the team was working on the terminal, alongside offices for the fire station, fuel station and government agency offices and others.
Dr. Justice Amoh, the Chief Executive Officer of Justmoh Construction, appealed to the John Mahama-led government to support the project to fast-track its completion process.
He described the project as a National asset and assured of the contractor’s commitment to complete the project on time.
The CEO also praised Asantehene for his enormous efforts in supporting the development of the project.The project has been on the drawing board since former President John Agyekum Kufuor’s administration following several challenges, until former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, emphasising the importance of the project in ensuring Ghana derives maximum benefits from the AfCFTA, cut the sod for its construction on November 5, 2020.
