The Ministry of Transport is in the process of evaluating several private sector proposals to introduce additional commercial activities at the newly constructed James Town Fishing Harbour, aiming to generate funds to maintain the facility. However, formal proposals have not yet been considered to make the facility sustainable.
Sector Minister Kwaku Ofori Asiamah disclosed this during a final inspection tour ahead of the official commissioning by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, with the date yet to be announced.
The minister, along with his team and officials from the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), visited the site to verify the harbour’s readiness before the completion certificate was signed. This certificate is expected to be signed by the GPHA and the Chinese construction firm CRCC Harbour and Channel Engineering Bureau Group Limited and then submitted to the minister and the President.
Currently, the GPHA is conducting “a facility testing exercise,” which is likely to be completed by the end of August, before the completion certificate is finalized.
Mr. Asiamah reiterated the government’s commitment to enhancing port infrastructure across the country to support the fishing industry. He noted that the James Town Fishing Harbour is one of several projects, including the Cape Coast Landing Site, that the government is undertaking.
The James Town Fishing Harbour Project commenced on August 20, 2020, with construction carried out by the Chinese marine engineering company CRCC Harbour and Channel Engineering Bureau Group Limited. After four years of work, the project has been completed and is now awaiting formal handover to the government.
The harbour complex features an administration block housing offices, trading markets, cold storage, processing areas, commercial spaces, and other production and support facilities, as well as a creche, encompassing 12,644.11 cubic metres.
Once operational, the harbour is expected to significantly boost Ghana’s fishing industry, facilitating the trade of 26,000 metric tonnes of fish annually and providing a platform for over 1,000 local fishermen to operate, with the capacity to berth more than 400 fishing vessels.
