To that end, he said the government was currently going through the necessary process to develop the port project and that hopes were high that by the fourth quarter of this year “the foundation stone for the administration block will be laid.”

According to him, as of February 10, this year, a suitable site in Kedzi within the Keta Municipality had been identified to locate the Port at Keta, while the President had issued an Executive Instrument to declare the area a port zone.

“A Keta Port Directorate to coordinate all the activities of the Keta Port Development has been appointed by the President. Expression of interest was advertised and seven out of the 19 respondent applicants were shortlisted to submit technical and financial proposals for feasibility studies,” he said.

Feasibility studies

Mr Asiamah who had appeared before Parliament to answer a question in relation to the development of the Keta Port said technical evaluation was completed on February 7, 2020 and financial proposals opened on Friday, February 14, 2020 and evaluation was completed by the end of February.

“It is expected that consulting services for the feasibility studies will start in April 2020. The outcome of the feasibility report will determine the infrastructure needs of the project,” he said.

He was answering a question from the Member of Parliament for Keta, Mr Richard Quashigah, who asked the minister what plans the government had to build a sea port in the Keta Municipality.

Visionary leadership

The minister said the development of the Port of Keta had always been the dream of the people of the Volta Region in general and those of the Keta Municipality in particular.

He noted that while attempts had been made by some private entities through some citizens of the area to initiate a port, the chiefs and people of the region had tirelessly explored options and sought past government’s support and interest to build a port in the area

“It therefore took the visionary leadership of the current President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the government to heed the call of the chiefs and people of the region and has initiated concrete steps to make this dream a reality,” he said.

The minister added that his outfit, together with the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority board, had met the paramount chief and sub-chiefs of the Keta area and had sensitised them to the upcoming project.