Minority questions $33m payment to Boankra Inland Port project concessionaire

The Minority in Parliament is questioning the payment of $33.3 million by the government to the concessionaire in the Boankra Inland Port project.

The Boankra Inland Port is a $330m joint venture between the government and Ashanti Port Services, and it is expected to serve importers and exporters in the middle and northern parts of the country when completed in 2024.

The Minority, however, says documentation available to them does not justify the payment of the money to a private entity.

The Ranking member on the Transport Committee and Member of Parliament for the Adaklu Constituency, Kwame Agbodza, speaking on the matter, questioned the procedure and circumstances under which the alleged amount was paid.

He expressed concern about a possible breach of the country’s procurement laws in the payment of the amount.

“For state-owned enterprises to invest, there are laws governing them, sometimes by the laws that establish them and then the Public Procurement Act and other regulations. What I am not sure about is at what point did Ghana Port and Harbour Authority become a shareholder. Did anybody offer them shares, or did they voluntarily say they were going to buy shares to warrant the payment?”

He also alleged that the Government was untruthful when it came to Parliament with the bill for the Project because the documentation available to them indicated that Ashanti Port Services was the only shareholder in the Project.

“The $33.3 million that was paid, on what condition was it paid, Government cannot just take $33.3 million and give it to a private company that is building a port because as of the time they came to Parliament, we did not know any entity as shareholders. The 100 percent shares belonged to Ashanti Port Services.”

“And if you pay $33.3 million, does it mean Government is buying a percentage share and if yes, where is the documentation showing that we owned a certain percentage upon which we are putting in $33.3 million,” he averred?

Covering a total land area of 413 acres, the Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal Project, popularly referred to as the Boankra Inland Port Project, is expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2024.