The perennial transit truck congestion at the Elubo border and the haphazard parking of these trucks in the Jomoro Municipal Assembly has become a thing of the past with construction of the Elubo Freight Park.
The project was initiated and funded by the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) with support from the Jomoro Municipal Assembly, and inaugurated on Friday, January 28, 2022.
The ultra-modern facility aims at making the nation’s western transit corridor attractive to businesses and individuals who haul goods between Ghana to La Cote d’Ivoire and beyond, in a bid to boost transit trade figures.
Ghana’s transit trade is estimated to generate GH₵134million annually, and the GSA is working hard to meet and even surpass this figure in the bid to support economic growth.
The Board Chairperson for GSA, Stella Wilson, said the project is evidence of the premium the Authority places on transit trade, and more efforts will be made to make Ghana a favorable destination to neighbouring landlocked countries.
She further noted that: “There are high expectations that more trade volumes will be moved across borders on the continent with introduction of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), hence the timeliness of this all-important Freight and Logistics Park at Elubo”.
She charged the Municipality to oversee maintenance of the facility to ensure its longevity.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Jomoro Municipal Assembly, Louisa Iris Arde, in her remarks said the park will not only help with beautification of the Assembly but also enhance road safety – and most importantly enhance economic activities.
She said: “This terminal project is very critical to the revenue mobilisation drive by the Assembly, and in this regard management of the Assembly has carefully constituted the Elubo Articulator Terminal Management Committee to ensure effective management of the terminal.
“The facility’s day to day running will require a multi-sectorial approach, and all stakeholders relevant to the effective operationalisation of this facility are urged to give of their best to achieve the goals and targets set for the project.”
The Elubo Freight Park sits on a 2-acre land with a truck capacity of thirty-one (31). It is designed such that trucks have ample clearance for entering, turning, parking and exiting. There is also a twelve (12) dormitory facility available for the drivers and their mates to lay their heads for a while before continuing their journey. It has twenty (20) bathroom stalls and twenty (20) toilet cubicles. It has a Mosque available as well as six (6) offices to run operations.
The transit truck drivers who witnessed the ceremony were grateful and thanked the GSA and the Municipal Assembly for the initiative.
