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The Minister for Transport, Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, has directed agencies under the ministry to put in place robust mechanisms to weed out corrupt practices that will lead to revenue leakages.

He charged the management of the agencies to restructure their operations to be in tune with the government’s economic transformation agenda.
 
“The vision of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to transform the economy through enhanced trade and industrialisation makes it imperative for the transport sector to be well positioned to play a pivotal role in that process. So systems that do not favour this vision will not be countenanced,” he said.

Boards

The minister gave the directive when he inaugurated the governing boards of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) in Accra yesterday.

The 12-member GMA Board is chaired by Mr Robert Kingsford Kutin, while Mr Frank Herbert Davies chairs the 13-member DVLA Board.

The inauguration of the two boards forms part of an exercise by the government to reconstitute the boards of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to make for the smooth implementation of the national development agenda.

Following the change in government in January this year, all previous boards of MDAs were dissolved. 

No conflicts

After administering the oath of office to the two governing boards, Mr Asiamah cautioned members to follow due processes in the discharge of their duties.

“Let me warn that you are not being sworn in to take over the roles of the management of the agencies but to support the management to take policy decisions, as well as offer advice that will improve their services,” he said.

‘Goro boys’

 While admonishing the DVLA, Mr Asiamah asked its newly constituted board to work with the management to clamp down on middlemen who took advantage of unsuspecting public.

“The menace of ‘goro’ boys remains a major challenge and I expect the DVLA Board and the management to work assiduously to address this if we are to achieve the objectives of sanitising the road transport industry,” he stressed.

He urged the board to collaborate with its management  to curb revenue losses ascribed to malpractices by some officers of the DVLA and their accomplices.

Maritime safety

He asked the GMA Board to collaborate with the management of the GMA to address challenges facing the maritime industry.

“Presently, we have tree stumps and other obstacles in the Volta Lake which are impeding navigation on the Lake. Meanwhile, the lack of patrol boats to monitor activities on the lake and at inland ports remains a huge challenge that ought to be addressed,” he said.

He urged the boards to work with key stakeholders and come up with mechanisms that would promote maritime security in the face of increasing threats from piracy and terrorism in the maritime sector.

The chairmen of both boards promised to collaborate with the management of their respective agencies and address challenges confronting the institutions.

They also gave the assurance to discharge their duties required in the interest of national development.