The Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, has been inducted into the Chartered Institute of Supply Chain Management (CISCM) as a Fellow in Integrated Supply Chain Management.
This follows the recognition of his remarkable performance at the ministry, where he has made some structural reforms and blended technological innovation with strategic management to impact the economy.
A total of fourteen agencies operate under the Ministry of Transport with each of these agencies making significant strides in their operations over the more than seven-year period Asiamah has been their political head.
At the 5th Induction & Investiture ceremony held in Accra, on Friday, April 26, 2024 Asiamah was lauded by CISCM for his exceptional service to Ghana.
This was also boldly captured in a well-designed citation inscribed on a plaque, projecting him as an outstanding achiever in the portfolio he has handled since 2017.
The citation read: “Call to Fellowship – Demonstrating exceptional service to Ghana and supporting CISCM’s effective organisation teams to execute its operational mandate successfully. Chartered Institute of Supply Chain Management has the pleasure to confer on you Fellow in Integrated Supply Chain Management.
It is our belief that you will accept this honour and commit to collaborate with CISCM to propagate and mainstream the adoption and use of integrated Supply Chain Management Principles, to drive the National and global agenda of pursuing effective, sustainable and inclusive socio-economic growth and development. Please accept our congratulations”.
100 people from different professional backgrounds were inducted into CISCM with the inductees categorized into Eminency, Full Members and Associates & Affiliates.
Induction into CISCM is a significant milestone in a leader’s career where his/her accomplishments are honoured. Fellows are selected on merit with special focus on their contributions and impact on society.
Asiamah’s work at the Ministry of Transport has led to the development and application of cutting-edge and innovative methods in technology to drive growth in the maritime, aviation and road transport sectors of the Ghanaian economy.
For instance, in the maritime sector, Asiamah’s strategic management role, prioritizing enhanced physical infrastructure and services, especially, at the seaports and airports, to bolster economic growth and development, has led to the completion and operationalisation of a dedicated container terminal (MPS Terminal 3) at the Tema Port to address inefficiencies that resulted in a general dissatisfaction with port services.
The Takoradi Port has also undergone massive transformation where a new dry bulk terminal equipped with state-of-the-art, high-performance ship loaders have been completed and operational, resulting in increased cargo handling capacity from 400 tons per hour to between 2,000 and 2,500 tons per hour. The Takoradi Port has also seen the construction of an oil jetty to service the oil and gas sector.
Other complimentary development programs such as the operationalisation of a paperless port, deployment of drones to augment the activity of security at the ports, implementation of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Messaging to share real-time cargo information, deployment of an e-payment solution among others have impacted the average vessel turnaround time which was 103.66 hours for the Tema Port and 118.70 hours for Takoradi Port as of December 2016 to 72.66 and 106 hours respectively as at December 2023.
Under the leadership of Asiamah, collaboration between the Ministry of Transport and other Ministries, has also led to the development of twelve (12) coastal fish landing sites to support artisanal fishing to address the high post-harvest losses and unhygienic conditions that, hitherto, were confronting the fishing industry.
The Elmina Fishing Port Project has also been completed with the construction of a new Fishing Port at Jamestown under the oversight leadership of Asiamah, nearing completion.
Growth and development in the aviation sector has also been massive under Asiamah, The Tamale Airport has been upgraded to international status. He also ensured the rehabilitation of the Sunyani Airport and also completed the construction of the Terminal 3 Project at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
Expansion works at the Kumasi Airport are nearing completion with the project said to be commissioned on Friday, May 10, 2024.
Asiamah has also ensured the establishment of an independent body responsible for aircraft incident and accident investigation and prevention.
By Stephen Odoi-Larbi
