It has come to light that the Elmina fishing harbour, commissioned in May last year, cost Ghana nearly twice as much as the James Town fishing harbour, despite offering fewer facilities. The Elmina project was financed through a Belgian Bank loan of over €92 million, which includes financing costs, translating to approximately $101.6 million (GH¢1.588 billion). According to a report by the Ghana News Agency on the project’s commissioning, the construction itself was supposed to have cost €84 million, around $92.8 million (GH¢1.45 billion).
In contrast, the James Town fishing harbour was built with a Chinese grant of just over $46 million (GH¢719 million), which is about 55% less than the loan taken for the Elmina harbour project and roughly 50% of the actual cost of the Elmina harbour construction. Despite the significantly lower cost, the James Town fishing harbour offers far more extensive facilities.
A detailed investigation by The High Street Journal reveals that the James Town fishing harbour, though much less expensive, includes a 60-tonne per day ice-making plant, a feature absent in Elmina. Additionally, James Town has a 1,500-tonne capacity cold store, while Elmina relies on private cold stores that existed before the project. James Town also boasts larger administrative offices, a more spacious crèche, and a slipway for boat repairs ,which is not present at Elmina.
The checks further indicate that the workshop for slipway operations and other mechanical equipment repairs at James Town is much larger compared to Elmina. Moreover, James Town has a liquid waste treatment plant, a facility not available at Elmina. The James Town harbour also features a bigger fish market and larger facilities for the police, fire service, and infirmary, as well as a more expansive paved area than what is found at Elmina.
The stark difference in costs between the two projects, especially when the lesser cost James Town harbour offers more facilities and seemingly higher value, raises questions about the reasons behind this disparity. The fact that the James Town project was funded by a grant suggests that it may have benefited from better supervision and a stronger emphasis on value for money.
This significant cost variation has sparked concerns, leading to calls for a value-for-money audit to determine whether taxpayer funds were prudently spent on the Elmina project. Given that there are plans to construct additional fishing harbours along Ghana’s coast, ensuring fiscal responsibility and maximizing value in these projects is crucial.
