Railway development is key to regional integration in Ghana and her sister countries within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The Deputy Minister for Railway Development, Kwaku Asante-Boateng, who said this at the inauguration of the Ministry’s Advisory Board noted that the movement of goods and services across the country and the sub-region would be easier and cheaper if the rail sector was fully developed.
He said the development of the rail sector would also give impetus to trade, economic growth and help to make Ghana’s development agenda a reality.
Based on that, he said the government was working to develop the sector into a modern transportation system to enable the country to reap its full benefits.
He, therefore, urged members of the newly constituted Advisory Board of Ministry to work assiduously to enable the government to meet its transformational agenda for the sector.
He used the opportunity to commend the outgoing Advisory Board for the support they gave to the Ministry and its Agencies during their term of office.
The Board is chaired by John–Peter Amewu, Minister for Railway Development (MoRD). Other members are Kwaku Asante-Boateng, Deputy Minister for MoRD, Desmond Boateng, Acting Chief Director of the Ministry, Yaw Owusu, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Railway Development Authority, Dr Michael Adjei Anyetei, Managing Director of Ghana Railway Company Limited and Godwin Gadikor, Head of Policy Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation, MoRD.
The rest are David Klottey Collison, Director, Public Investment and Asset Division, Ministry of Finance, Prof. Issaka Yakubu from Ghana Institution of Engineering, Andrews Osei Mensah from Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.
The government’s nominees on the Board are Togbe Keh XII, Chief of Wegbe, Gbi Traditional Council, Beatrice Agbley and Mr Abdallah Mohammed.
The inauguration was in line with Section 40 of the Civil Service Act, 1993 (PNDCL 327) which requires every Ministry to constitute a Ministerial Advisory Board to promote constant interaction between the Ministry and the users of its services and advise the sector Minister on adjustment in policy direction, planning objectives and operational strategies.
Ganyo Gerald, ISD
