The Companies are Dormec Marine and Engineering, Ladol Freezone Enterprise, Secant Technologies, Submarine Holdings Limited, Strategic Security Systems and Life Forms Limited.

The company that would be selected at the solicitation process would partner the Government to bring about the needed technology and investment that would eventually lead to the scale-up of facilities at the Yard.

It would also be responsible for ship repair, fabrication and shipbuilding at the Shipyard.

Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, the Minister of Transport, announced these at a pre-proposal conference held, in Accra, on Tuesday by the Sector Ministry in collaboration with the Ghana Shippers Authority.

The conference was part of the process to give opportunity to the shortlisted firms to seek clarification on issues regarding the bidding process, which is being done in line with Section 40 of the Public Procurement Authority Act.

Mr Asiamah said the Yard, which had over the years been in a state of under-development with obsolete equipment, required a strategic partner to rehabilitate and upgrade it to ensure that it contributed significantly to the Government’s Integrated Bauxite and Aluminium Project.

He recounted that the Shipyard facility was built in the 1960s by Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, to promote the aluminium and related fabrication industry at the Shipyard.

The Yard was, therefore, to function in the main areas of fabrication, ship repair and eventually ship building by utilising aluminium products, among others, when it became fully functional, he said.

Mr Asiamah said the Government considered the Shipyard as a strategic national asset, which if developed, could contribute significantly to the oil and gas industry as well.

“With the oil and gas activities in Ghana, the Shipyard is well positioned to take advantage of opportunities and help to promote local content and improve Ghana’s competitiveness in West Africa’s offshore oil and gas industry,” he said.

The Minister explained that the Stage One of the bidding selection process, which involved the evaluation of investor qualification statements, had been completed, while Stage Two which, was ongoing also involved the submission of detailed proposals from the six shortlisted firms from stage one.

Mr David Ofosu-Dorte, a Transaction Advisor to the Process, said there were 20 initial prospective investors, but they were shortlisted to six.

He said the Process would close on November 2, 2018, and based on the submissions received, the Government would set an evaluation team that would comprise Government officials and some technical advisors.

Afterwards, a recommendation would be made and submitted to Cabinet and Parliament for approval.