Collaborate with govt to improve transport infrastructure …Deputy Transport Minister urges CILT members

The Deputy Minister for Transport, Mr Frederick O. Adom, has charged players in the transport and logistics industry to collaborate with government to upgrade and modernise Ghana’s transport infrastructure for economic growth.

In a speech read on his behalf by the Director of Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ministry of Transport, Madam Irene Messiba, at the 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) in Accra,” he said, the role of transport in stimulating economic growth, industrial transformation and development cannot be over-emphasised.

“When transportation systems are efficient, they create opportunities and benefits for the economy. It is perhaps one of the most important sectors that cannot be neglected as far as socio-economic growth is concerned,” he stated.

In view of that, he said, collaboration with industry players and adequate policies that would ensure the growth of the sector was very crucial and must be encouraged.

“The transport sector constitutes the arteries of our daily lives. It connects the factors of production in a complex web of relationships between producers and consumer,” he stated.

The end result he said, was usually a more efficient division of labour through the use of geographical comparative advantages, as well as the ability to develop economics of scale.

“For this reason, we continue to remain committed to modernizing and upgrading our transport infrastructure and in particular, our port’s capabilities as well as the logistics value chain industry,” he stated.

However, he mentioned that, there were few challenges facing the sector particularly within the context of climate change.

“This is an opportune time in the aftermath of the Climate Change Conference (COP 27) as we meet as industry experts and practitioners to deliberate on issues crucial to advancing the cause of sustainable and climate neutral transport system,” he stressed.

He said, it was therefore important for professional bodies such as CILT to partner government on the journey of building a sustainable and green transportation system in Ghana.

The AGM was held under the theme, “Green Transport and Supply Chains: Key to sustain the future of Industry and the Environment.”

In view of that, the President of CILT,   Mark Amoamah, urged businesses including the transport and logistics industry to develop corporate strategies that would see a gradual shift into green operations to enhance their performance.

“Green solutions can be integrated into different segments of the logistics value chain- from storage to transportation, to improve productivity and minimize our carbon footprint,” he stated.

Mr Amoamah urged the government to help transition to a low-carbon future in supply chain and transport by encouraging the need to complement investments in new technologies with workforce training and capacity building.

He also called on government to grant tax breaks for businesses using green technologies incentives while pledging CILT’s commitment to the growth of the transport and logistics industry in Ghana.

BY MICHAEL D. ABAYATEYE