A 9-member Parliamentary Select Sub-Committee on Roads and Transport, led by its chairman, Mr Kennedy Osei Nyarko, has visited the Boankra Integrated and Logistics Terminal Project site to acquaint themselves with progress of work.
The US$308 million project, being executed by Justmoh Construction, currently stands at 40 percent complete despite delay in payments for work done since November 2023.
The Concessionaire, Ashanti Ports Services Limited (APSL), is said to have failed to meet financial obligations for the Boankra Inland Port project, as a result of which the Concessionaire’s right was terminated.
Over 7000 workers would be employed on completion and create other informal job opportunities to others within the region and beyond.
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 Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport, which has been advocating prompt payments to ensure the completion of the project by September 2026, toured the Boankra Integrated and Logistics Terminal (BILT) project site on Wednesday.
A total 160 hectares of land is being developed for the project, including construction of 12.2 kilometres of roads within the terminal and will handle both imports and exports from the northern parts of the country and neighbouring countries.
The Chairman of the Committee, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, who is also the Member of Parliament for Akyem Swedru, commended the Ministry of Roads and Transport, the Consultant and the Contractor for the wonderful work done so far.
Osei Nyarko, on behalf of the Committee, pleaded with the Ministry and government to work towards meeting the financial obligations to encourage the contractors to execute the project.
He indicated that the interest of the Committee was to see the all-important project completed describing the project as a great project not for only the Ashanti Region, but the entire northern sector.
The Parliamentary Committee has also requested all documentation leading to the abrogation of the contract of the former Concessionaires, Ashanti Port Services, towards the formal regularisation of the Justmoh Construction, as the legal entity for the execution of the project.
“We have already requested for all correspondence leading to the termination of the contract. If we get those documents, we will get proper understanding of all the issues”, Kennedy Osei Nyarko noted.
Mr. Justice Amoh, the Chief Executive Officer of Justmoh Construction, described the project as a national asset and assured of the contractor’s commitment to complete it on time.
He also appealed to the Parliamentary Committee to prevail on the government to release funds for the successful completion of the project within schedule.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport has said processes towards regularisation of the contract for Justmoh Construction are far advanced and that the Public Procurement Agency and Ministry of Finance have given the necessary approval for the regularisation of the contract.
