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Tag: Kwaku Ofori-Asiamah

  • Govt paying salaries to workers of a non-existent port at Keta – Dafeamekpor alleges

    The Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has alleged that the government is paying remunerations to some workers who are supposed to be working at a port in Keta.

    In a tweet shared on Monday, November 21, 2022, Dafeamekpor questioned who these salaries were going to because there is no port in Keta, a coastal town in the Volta Region.

    The MP, who made these remarks while reacting to a purported document indicating the approval of annual bonuses for workers of ports, including the port at Keta, bemoaned the fact that the workers were even going to be paid bonuses.

    “How can we be paying monthly salaries, allowances and End of Year bonuses to workers of a nonexistent Port at Keta?

    “Again, per para 5, what’s the meaning of para 5? “A Retired Staff who ‘worked’ for more than 6 months or more during the year will be entitled to full bonus..”?” parts of the MP’s tweet read.

    The MP shared a document from the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority addressed to the directors of the ports at Tema, Takoradi, and Keta, confirming the approval of the payment of bonuses to workers at these ports.

    The government started processes to construct the third commercial airport in Ghana at Keta in 2019.

    It has so far signed an executive instrument that demarcates the area for the port, advertised for tenders for feasibility studies, and appointed a director for the proposed port.

    As of now, the only structure at the demarcated area for the Keta port is a sign post, but the Minister for Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, has stated that the government remains committed to the construction of the proposed Keta port.

    View the MP’s tweet plus the document below:

  • Air travel to recover fully in 2024 – Transport Minister

    By 2024, the Kotoka International Airport’s passenger volume should have fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects.

    Ghana’s transport minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, said in his speech at the 41st ICAO triennial meeting in Canada that “passenger traffic is picking up after the disastrous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation industry.”

    Ghana is now functioning at about 70% of its capacity, and its transport minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, stated that the country hopes to attain full capacity by 2024.

    The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced passenger data for August 2022 showing continued momentum in the air travel recovery.

    Total traffic in August 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was up 67.7% compared to August 2021. Globally, traffic is now at 73.7% of pre-crisis levels.

    Domestic traffic for August 2022 was up 26.5% compared to the year-ago period. Total August 2022 domestic traffic was at 85.4% of the August 2019 level.

    International traffic rose 115.6% versus August 2021 with airlines in Asia delivering the strongest year-over-year growth rates. August 2022 international RPKs reached 67.4% of August 2019 levels.

    “The Northern Hemisphere peak summer travel season finished on a high note. Considering the prevailing economic uncertainties, travel demand is progressing well. And the removal or easing of travel restrictions at some key Asian destinations, including Japan, will certainly accelerate the recovery in Asia. The mainland of China is the last major market retaining severe COVID-19 entry restrictions,” Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General said.

    African airlines experienced a 69.5% rise in August RPKs versus a year ago.

    August 2022 capacity was up 45.3% and load factor climbed 10.8 percentage points to 75.9%, the lowest among regions.

    International traffic between Africa and neighbouring regions is close to pre-pandemic levels.

  • Passion Air starts flying to Sunyani Airport

    Passion Air, a domestic airline operator with the greatest route network in the nation, will start operating flights to the Sunyani Airport, which is expected to significantly increase demand for domestic air travel in Ghana.

    According to the company, the flight heralds the launch of Passion Air’s Sunyani route, which will operate three times each week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and Sundays for a GHS600 cost.

    Since President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo this year officially opened the first stage of the renovation and expansion of the Sunyani Airport, this flight marks the first commercial flight to the airport.

    Speaking at an event to welcome Passion Air’s maiden commercial domestic flight to the Bono regional capital, Managing Director of Passion Air, Samuel Ato Hagan said the airline’s Sunyani flight would reduce time spent travelling from Accra to the region to just an hour.

    “The airline industry is an important contributor towards economic development and must be protected. It has increased easier and faster movements of goods and passengers within the country as well as creating jobs both directly and indirectly for the populace.

    Air transport is no longer a luxury but an important component of economic development where time is of essence. The journey time by road between Sunyani and Accra is about 6 – 7 hours, by air this is within an hour. That saves a whole lot of product hours which could be utilized elsewhere productively,” he said.

    He bemoaned the impact of the cedi’s continuous loss in value against major trading currencies and the high cost of fuel on the cost of air fares.

    “Just when we were beginning to get some respite from the effects of the pandemic, we encountered, two very strong head winds in the form of the depreciation of the Ghana Cedi against the major foreign trading currencies and the continuous increase in aviation fuel prices. This has had adverse effects on us as a business. Our ticket sales are in Cedis but over 98% of our transactions with vendors and suppliers are in foreign currencies. The price of aviation fuel seems to be flying just as high as our aircraft. The price of aviation fuel has increased by 112% from the beginning of this calendar year. This is a major challenge for us as a domestic operator,” he noted.

    Minister for Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, noted that, “the domestic air travel market had recovered and increased by 70percent from 2020 to 2021 after a drop of 38% was experienced from 2019 to 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

    He commended the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) for taking steps to ensure continued operations in the sector despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Akufo-Addo is a promise keeper – Transport Minister

    The Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah has eulogised President Akufo-Addo, describing him as “a promise keeper.”

    According to the Minister, his boss has always delivered on promises made to Ghanaians.

    He noted that although Ghanaians still treat the promises of politicians with suspicion, President Akufo-Addo had shown that he was a man of his word by delivering on his key policies.

    Mr Asiamah made this known on Monday during a ceremony to herald Ghanaian airline, Passion Air’s maiden flight to the recently renovated Sunyani Airport in the Bono Region.

    He said the President had kept his word to the people of Bono after he assured them that commercial flights would soon operate from the airport.

    Mr Asiamah further urged Ghanaians to always say a prayer for the President so that he will be able to surmount all challenges.

    “You will recall that on 3rd August this year, I accompanied President Akufo-Addo to commission this airport following certification by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority for the airport to resume flight operations,” Mr Asiamah said.

    “At the commissioning. I did inform you that, Passion Air, one of the domestic carriers was finalising modalities for the commencement of flight operations to this airport. It is my pleasure to announce that today’s inaugural flight by Passion Air is a clear demonstration of the government’s commitment to improving air connectivity across the country and beyond to boost trade and tourism”.

    Maiden flight

    The Minister was speaking at an event to welcome Passion Air’s maiden commercial domestic flight to the Bono region.

    Onboard the flight which lasted 45 minutes from the Kotoka International Airport to the Sunyani Airport were Members of Parliament; members of the Ghana Airports Company Limited Board; management and staff of Passion Air; pressmen and other passengers.

    Source: Graphiconline.com