President John Dramani Mahama has ordered the Ministry of Transport to facilitate the extension of the railway line from Tema Port to the Dawa Industrial Enclave in the Greater Accra Region.

The President gave the directive during a meeting with Organised labour led by the Secretary General of the TUC, Joshua Ansah to address salary arrears of railway sector workers.

The President said while awaiting the completion of the Mpakadan Inland Port on the Volta Lake, the Tema Port – Dawa Industrial Enclave Railway line project should be executed and operationalised to facilitate the transportation of cargo from the Port to the Dawa Industrial Enclave.

The route he said when completed, will also facilitate the transportation of workers from the Ashaiman enclave to the Industrial Enclave.

Meanwhile President Mahama said the Minister of Finance will be appraised about the salary issue to make allocations to clear all arrears.

He also disclosed that, based on the recommendations from the transport minister, over a hundred railway workers will be transferred from the Western Region to Tema to manage the Tema-Mpakadan line, while those on retirement will be adequately compensated.

Touching on dismantling old railway tracts, the President directed the transport minister to ensure the project is executed by railway workers. He also instructed that the metals are transported directly to factories for recycling.

The Secretary General of the TUC thanked President Mahama for his prompt response to issues affecting organised labour.